(3 Jun 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 3 June 2025
1. Mid of student and Harvard hopeful Yonas Niguse with book
2. Various of Niguse entering library, browsing book shelves
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Yonas Niguse, student accepted into Harvard University:
"Since early childhood, I used to hear about the famous colleges like Harvard, but I did not know how I could get into these prestigious institutions. I have been waiting for the news for months beforehand and weeks beforehand, and when I heard the news, I was very ecstatic. My family was also very happy, as were my friends and teachers. Everyone was very happy and proud."
4. Close up of Niguse reading
5. Various of Niguse on his laptop
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Yonas Niguse, student accepted into Harvard University:
++PARTLY OVERLAID WITH SHOT 4++
"When I first heard the news that Harvard wouldn’t be able to enroll international students, I felt confused and a little bit nervous that I might not attend college next fall. I was very nervous this whole week, I was checking the news every day, if there is anything new about the situation. I hope it will be resolved, and hopefully, I will attend the college next fall."
7. Various of Niguse
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Yonas Niguse, student accepted into Harvard University:
++PARTLY OVERLAID WITH SHOT 7++
"It was a difficult time for us during the three years of conflict, and to be able to return from it and score a good result in the national exam, and also to get into Harvard was a big success for me, and I think I don’t think that there is the specific secret behind it. I think it’s my hard work and my friends and my teachers support and my parents’ support that made me achieve this success."
9. Various of Niguse walking on the streets of Addis Ababa
STORYLINE:
Yonas Nuguse believed he was finally destined for Harvard University this year after having survived the Tigray conflict at home in Ethiopia, communication shutdowns, and the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which delayed his dream of finishing high school on time.
However, the Trump administration recently barred the Ivy League school from enrolling international students, saying current students must transfer to other schools or leave the country.
The university filed a lawsuit to challenge the action and a federal judge extended an order blocking the administration’s attempt to bar the enrollment of foreign students on Thursday.
Many students like Nuguse, 21, an aspiring economist, have been left in an uncertain position and debating if they will get to attend one the most prestigious universities in the U.S. in September.
"Since my childhood, I often heard about Harvard, but I was not sure if I belonged there,” he told the Associated Press.
Attending Harvard was a dream that was a long time in the making for Nuguse, including having to take a gap year to study and find scarce funds to pay for and take his TOEFL English proficiency test in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.
Nuguse scored a near perfect TOEFL grade, coupled with a 675 out of a possible 700 score on his high school exit exam, he became the only student to be accepted to Harvard this year from his high school.
Kalamino Special High School, located in Tigray’s capital, Mekele, is a hub for gifted students from underprivileged backgrounds coming from all parts of Tigray.
Nuguse recalled the challenges of living his formative years during the Tigray war that lasted for the better part of two years and forced the closing of schools in many parts of the vulnerable province.
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