06/02/2026
When she was 8, Roqia Ali and her family moved to the United States from their native Afghanistan, a country then riven by a decade of post 9/11 war.
“I see everything as a privilege: being able to be in college, worrying about an exam tomorrow or [holding events] and being so busy,” said the rising senior at VCU. “I find that all very fulfilling because it’s an opportunity that so many dream of, and so the fact that I’m able to live it is something I don’t take for granted.”
Read more: https://news.vcu.edu/article/family-journey-inspires-roqia-alis-passion-for-civic-engagement