From Refugee to High School Graduate: Steinmühle Makes History

One could begin this story with “Once upon a time….” But this is no fairy tale. When Hussam, Abdallah, and Habib arrived at the Steinmühle in the fall of 2015, they had nothing in their pockets, just one goal in mind: to earn their high school diplomas. Today, five years later, they’ve all achieved their goal. And that’s not just a voice prompt from a GPS—it’s the result of hard work.

None of the three spoke German; they had brought nothing but their ambition. They were part of the group of refugees who, as part of an external youth welfare program, moved into the rented Bremerhaus at Steinmühle and were also educated on the premises.

They were the ones to watch: Hussam, a Palestinian born in Syria; Abdallah, a Syrian; and Habib, an Afghan originally from Iran. This was true not only—but especially—for math class. All three chose the math track in 11th grade. Math is an international subject; other classes, taught on a broader German-language basis, pose the greater challenge. But was math the only challenge?

“We knew we had to”

And how they crammed German anyway! They got their start in the intensive German class. “We knew we had to,” the three recall, thinking back on learning German—a language that was completely foreign to them—but which they simply couldn’t avoid. “It really helped that we spent 24 hours on campus,” they recall. “Our classmates were a huge support to us.”

And yet: It was very, very hard. They admit to the lean times, the homesickness, and everything else that sets in when you worry that your loved ones back home are in danger. But that was precisely what drove them to give it their all and seize these opportunities to shape their lives the way they’d always dreamed. For the sake of those back home, too.

“It was quite an experience—for us teachers as well,” says Björn Gemmer. The principal of Steinmühlen School and former homeroom teacher of the three young men also recalls the challenges they faced. “Overall, it was a diverse group, all of whom shared the goal of earning a diploma. There was no family to fall back on.” Religious considerations also came into play, such as Ramadan, for example. “But we couldn’t accommodate that from an organizational standpoint at the school.”

Today, the pride Steinmühle feels for having paved the way clearly outweighs everything else. Everyone seems relaxed, happy, and full of hope for the future. Habib and Hussam plan to study business informatics, while Abdallah wants to become a doctor—specifically, an “orthopedist.” He graduated from high school with a 1.1 GPA. “My dream of going to college came true here.”