Selamevet, a 17-year-old student at Ulpanat Amit in Be’er Sheva, not only made Aliyah a mere four years ago but, astonishingly, she made the journey by herself. Selamevet’s family met her at the airport when she arrived in Israel, and she remembers the tears in her father’s eyes when he laid eyes on her for the first time in four and a half years. Selamevet says of her remarkable journey, “A lot of people think it’s scary but it’s not...I thought all of Israel would be gold, and it was true.” However, adjusting to life in Israel was complicated and sometimes uncomfortable for Selamevet, who encountered racism and difficulties in acclimating to a new language and an unfamiliar culture.

Selamevet joined ENP’s SPACE Program in the hopes of improving her math and English, and at first, according to SPACE Coordinator Fitlework, she had a very hard time asking questions and being assertive in school. However, Fitlework sought to bond with Selamevet and bring her out of her shell and, after many conversations, Fitlework witnessed Selamevet slowly beginning to open up and believe in herself. Selamevet recalls various empowerment and motivational activities that she did with SPACE that have stayed with her and helped her believe in the full scope of her own potential. Furthermore, Selamevet even rose to the highest level in math, “all because of SPACE,” she says.

Selamevet is a highly motivated student who gracefully tackles her challenging classes, including the 5-points math class. She is hungry for success and determined to excel in school, and has even been known to stay at school to study during her vacations. Selamevet says of her academic achievements, “All of my success is because of [my SPACE coordinator] Fitlework because she always believes in me, even when I don’t believe in myself.” Not only is Selamevet a responsible student, but she also takes on immense responsibility at home. Selamevet’s parents work long hours, and so she often acts as both role model and caretaker for her younger siblings, dropping them off and picking them up from school every day. Selamevet’s father has big dreams for her as well, and he pushed hard to get her accepted into the excellence program. ENP Regional Supervisor Daniel sums up Selamevet with the words: “she has a lot of motivation to be successful and I believe she will be successful.”