At 16 she ran for her life, in Tucson she is back on track and helping others

This story was originally published on Aug. 23, 2016

Three years ago, Sarah Al-jameel was set to become the youngest woman attending college in her hometown. But instead of following a path to become a doctor, she was forced to run for her life.

Now in Tucson, she's back on track and more.

In 2013, the 16-year-old and her three sisters, brother, mom and dad fled their native Iraq after they received a note — her family assumed it was from the Iraqi government — that told them to get out within 48 hours or be killed. They escaped a couple hours later, carrying only their passports, some clothes and her mother’s jewelry.

Al-jameel’s family took refuge in Turkey. And she stayed busy — working as a hotel front desk assistant there, teaching other refugees English and nabbing her first gig as a refugee interpreter.

Two years later, she moved to Tucson to join her cousins in the U.S. She interprets and translates for Tucson’s Syrian refugees who have, like her, abandoned their homes and entire lives to escape death. She will start studying science at Pima Community College later this month.

Despite everything, Al-jameel is a whole human who loves "Grey’s Anatomy" and "The Walking Dead," learning everything she can and acting (even if it’s only for her mom).

She is unbroken.

Read more about the 19-year-old's refugee work, her own experience being a refugee and her humanitarian goals:

Some of Sarah Al-jameel's comments have been edited for clarity

On getting out or getting killed

I had 48 hours to leave — we got a note. We just got our passports and left.

The notes say in 48 hours, everyone will be dead in the house. I think they usually come from the Iraqi government. We had to leave everything — cars, houses. We didn’t have time to bring documents from school, which was a very big problem for me.

It’s scary because you could be dead. You just take some clothes and say “Let’s leave.” You think someone is watching whether you’re leaving or not, and if you’re not, you’re afraid they’ll shoot you. My friend’s friends, they left the same way. They got the same letter, the same everything.

They left everything, just like us.

On seeking refuge and starting over

When I was 16, I was accepted into University, so I was like, “Oh, yes! Finally, I’m going to be a doctor.” I was the youngest girl there, so I was really happy. But then we got that note, and I didn’t bring that diploma with me. So I went to Turkey and I was angry and mad, and I was very, very sad. I was like, “I’m not going to be a doctor anymore.”

When we fled, we didn’t have time to bring documents from school, which was a very big problem. If I had my documents, I’d be able to just go to the U of A and study medicine. It would have been so much easier. I felt so, so bad the first three months I went to Turkey. I was just crying, I was like, “I just want to go to Iraq, I don’t care. I just want to study.”

On helping others

That’s my passion — helping people. I’m trying to become a doctor to help families, maybe for free or less than other doctors. You know, some children die because they don’t have enough money to go to the doctor, they don’t have enough money to get medications.

On her Syrian refugee work

I work with a lot of families. More than 30, I work with.

My favorite part is seeing their first reaction. It always makes me happy. I’ve gone to the airport so many times to pick up families and just say, “Welcome, you’re safe,” and they’re so happy they just start crying. Their reaction is the best. I’m so ready to go to the airport every day just for that reaction.

It’s sometimes annoying. Yesterday and today they were yelling at me! This morning, I went to sign a lease for a Syrian family. They came for a week. … They were yelling and talking, and there were so many children. Every family has like six or seven children. And because I forgot someone, they started yelling at me! Like, sorry, I’m just human.

There’s also a Syrian family that’s so nice. As soon as they got here they were like, “Sarah, can you help us find jobs? Can you teach us English?” And I was like, “Yeah, sure.” So when this Syrian family who lived in a camp — and they didn’t even know how to write Arabic, their own language — when I saw their passion to learn English, to live here and work and everything, I was like, do you see these people? They’re a very, very cool family. I love them. I visit them almost everyday.

On encountering Islamophobes

I used to wear hijab in Tucson because I used to wear it when I was in Iraq. So I was going to work, and there was a guy who said, “All you Muslims will die,” and started yelling at me in front of so many people in the street, and he tried to grab me. I was like, “I didn’t kill anyone. I didn’t do anything.” He tried to grab me, but two guys came and took him away from me.

Yeah, that was really, really hard for me. But I haven’t seen anything else like that. I haven’t had any other trouble living here. But then I did take off my hijab. I was like, no, I’m not gonna wear that anymore. I just wore hijab for one month before that, and then I was like, no, I’m not gonna wear it.

I prefer to be safe. My mom wears hijab and I told her to take it off to be more safe.

On life in Iraq, as a girl

When I lived in Iraq, I didn’t know how to deal with people. I used to be a little bit afraid. Girls can’t laugh out loud. Girls can’t stand alone. She can’t go shopping by herself. I didn’t like that.

So people didn’t understand me and I didn’t know how to deal with them. That was really, really difficult for me. That’s why I didn’t have friends — I’m so open and they thought I wasn’t a good girl. I was like, “No, I’m just like you.”

I don’t like this way of living, that the girl can’t work and she just sits all day at the house. I’m not good with that. I have so many goals — I’m going to study medicine and open my own hospital, but Iraqis are like “No, you’re not gonna do that,” and I’m like, “Yeah, I am.”

They wanted to destroy my hopes and dreams, but that note destroyed my dream anyway.

On why she’s a badass

Ugh. I mean, I think of myself and my story and everything and people say I do so many great things. And I think I do some great things. I’m proud of myself. I’m so proud of a being a woman.

I do so many things, things I’m really proud of. So many boys in Iraq weren’t able to do these things — live in Iraq, live in Turkey, work three jobs, move to the USA.

Your name, age, occupation.

Sarah Al-jameel, 19, interpreter.

I'm on a mission to _______________________.

Reach my goals and be able to help the people who really need help.

Describe yourself in three words...

Ambitious, friendly, motivated.

And in four emojis.

😑😏😂😉

Your first-ever job?

Interpreter and English teacher.

How long have you lived in Tucson?

Eight months.

Who and/or what inspires you?

My mother and Steve Farley because they do their best to help people and make them happy.

The secret to coping with stress is ________________.

Either eating or talking to someone that I feel comfortable talking with.

Your favorite Tucson spots?

U of A, Saguaro National Park and Grace St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

What are your favorite three songs and why?

"Puno de Tierra" I love this song because Mariachi Sol Azteca sang it once and I loved it, even though I don't understand it. "Hala brihat Hali" because my best friend sent it to me. "Laila Majnu" because it always makes me happy.

Your favorite Tucson restaurants?

La Parrilla Suiza, Blue Willow and Cheba Hut

What's your favorite Tucson-only thing?

The amazing people I meet.

You know you're a Tucsonan when _____________.

I knew as soon as got here because I am moving up in life here in Tucson, if I wasn't a Tucsonan I wouldn't be able to do anything.

What constitutes your morning getting-ready routine and how long does it take?

I usually take shower, start looking for clothes (and that takes 30 minutes). Then I put on makeup (and that takes 15 to 30 minutes), go buy coffee and start running because I am late.

Favorite app at the moment?

Navigator because I am always lost. And ADPMobile because it tells me when I get paid.

Give us a two-sentence pep talk.

Everything happens for a reason and everything will be better with time.

What would you tell your teenage self?

You stupid Sarah. Don't ever cut your hair and have fun as much as you can because you won't live that time of your life again.

What's a quality you got from your mama?

Ambition and wisdom.

And one you hope to pass on to the next generation?

Ambition, of course.

The last great book you read?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.