51动漫

The spring 2025 Brennan Symposium featured Luma Mufleh, the founder of the Fugees Academy, a school dedicated to serving refugee students. Mufleh opened her talk in Arabic, which turned out to be a lesson on simple math problems. She explained that the confusion in the room mirrored the daily reality for millions of English learners across the U.S.

For over two decades, Mufleh has been working to transform the American education system, advocating for approaches that meet children where they are. One of her earliest inspirations? Dolly Parton in the film聽9 to 5,聽媤ho聽challenged the status quo to create a more just workplace for women. Mufleh admired t媓e character's聽courage and action.

Born in Amman, Jordan, Mufleh came to the U.S. to attend Smith College.聽婭n her senior year, while her peers were preparing for jobs and grad school, she was preparing for her asylum interview. As a gay, Arab, and Muslim woman攁 combination she jokingly called a 渉at trick� in soccer攔eturning to Jordan was not safe.

After graduation, she moved to the South, trying a range of jobs in search of purpose. One day, while driving to her restaurant shift, a wrong turn brought that purpose. She spotted a group of barefoot children joyfully playing soccer. The next week, she returned to the spot with a new soccer ball, offering it in exchange for a chance to play.聽On her many visits, she learned their stories and found out that they檇 never been part of a soccer team. And with that knowledge, she was inspired to start a soccer team. The Fugees, a play on the word refugees, team was born. The children攔efugees from places like Afghanistan, Liberia, Sudan, and Bosnia攚ere excited and energized to be part of a team surrounded by others with similar experiences; they gained confidence, and above all, found belonging.

But this聽story doesn檛 end with soccer. Mufleh listened to her players and realized their struggles extended beyond the field. Many were being passed through school grades despite being unable to read. One player from Burundi shared how isolating it was not to speak English攈ow saying 測es� to everything, thinking it was the right answer, often got him into trouble. Mufleh saw the need for a school that truly served these kids. Funders, however, often sought feel-good stories of refugee students reaching the Ivy League. Mufleh challenged that narrative. To her, innovation requires imagination攓uestioning norms, staying flexible, speaking up, and deeply listening. Fortunately, a few backers were inspired to support her vision.

The Fugees Academy began modestly: six students, one teacher in a church basement. Within five years, enrollment grew to 96 students, but demand far exceeded capacity. She lobbied to change laws that barred state funding for schools like hers, garnering local and House support, only to be blocked in the Senate.

Undeterred, Mufleh leveraged her network and fundraising expertise. In 2018, a second Fugees Academy opened in Columbus, Ohio. The pandemic became an inflection point. Her team broadened their mission, encouraging public school districts to adopt the Fugees model攑rioritizing individualized聽learning and support, and embedding arts and athletics in the curriculum.� Students begin their day with yoga exercises.聽Their first partner� was the聽Bowling Green� School District in聽Kentucky.

This initiative, coined Project Tesanga攏amed for a Senegalese word meaning 渂elonging潝is showing powerful results. Students are� exceeding expectations,聽reading at or above grade level聽after just one year of instruction.

Mufleh message was clear: don't be discouraged by rejection. If you're a square peg in a round hole, create a square hole.

She closed by recalling her first visit� at eight years old聽to a refugee camp in Jordan with her grandmother, herself a refugee from Syria. Her grandmother reminded her that charity can often be a 渙ne and done� effort, but real impact comes by asking,聽What next?

Winston Center Staff