Baret Scholars offered me a rare kind of global exposure as a young adult. With the training wheels from THINK Global School finally off, I learned to navigate the world independently—managing my own finances, making responsible decisions, and connecting with speakers, students, and local communities around the globe.

This experience shaped my confidence, clarified the kind of learner and leader I want to become, and helped me envision the impact I hope to create. It also taught me to slow down, embrace change, and truly pay attention to the world around me.

During this time, I rediscovered my passion for poetry through a year-long AP capstone project, creating poetry zines and organizing slam poetry events. I also co-founded the inaugural Baret Scholars magazine, Étoile, with ten other students, fostering a platform for global perspectives and creative expression. Beyond poetry and publishing, I continued expanding my learning by leading and participating in projects across the world, blending creativity, research, and hands-on experience.

Since starting at Joypurhat Girls’ Cadet College at 12, I became a guest in my own home—returning only during school vacations. That pattern continued when I attended a traveling high school for two years, followed by a global gap year with Baret Scholars. Somewhere between airports and new countries, I realized I had never truly paused.

So I chose to take a second gap year—this time to slow down and reconnect with my roots, my family, my friends, my Dhaka city, and Bangladesh’s rich cultural heritage.

This fall, I’m taking French classes through the vibrant Alliance Française de Dhaka, raising two cats, reading the books I’ve collected from around the world, and taking AP courses through an online high school.

By next spring, I hope to travel again—this time within my own country.