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NORFOLK, Va. — Moving to a new country can be a massive challenge. But as the old saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
From Kabul, Afghanistan, to Newport News, Virginia. Zobair Wali had no idea what to expect when his entire family moved to the States in search of a better life.
“I sometimes make jokes with my friends back home that every 5-minute drive I can see a beach,” he told News 3.
The only way they could move out of the country is because of his dad’s ties to the U.S. Embassy.
“My dad was a telecommunication engineer there. He worked in the US embassy for about 15 years. Then we got a special immigration visa and we moved to the States,” he said.
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After one year at high school in the United States, Zobair had to do something that many 18-year-olds fear, apply for college.
After getting a merit-based scholarship, Zobair decided to follow in his family’s footsteps when choosing a major. Both his father and grandfather worked in the telecommunication field. Zobair stayed in that field of technology, majoring in cybersecurity.
“I think it was personal because I came from a country for example where we had a democratic process like elections that was mostly rigged. So I wanted to do something that had significant impact and at the same time I’m able to work on some social causes,” Wali told News 3.
However, Zobair didn’t just study cybersecurity, he excelled in it.
During his junior year, he joined ODU’s “Cyber leADERS” program. This provides two to three years of support in exchange for service in the federal government. He also became the President of the Coastal Virginia Cybersecurity Association and the Executive Director for Virginia Cybersecurity Students.
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He also shadowed the Virginia Board of Elections.
“Just to see how elections are running in this country, how they are keeping it safe, and at the same time be able to at some point if I get the opportunity to be able to go back home and implement some of those right practices,” Wali said.
Now Zobair starts a new chapter in his life, working for the federal government. He’ll help protect people against the growing number of cybercriminals. But he says he couldn’t have done it, without the sacrifices his parents made.
“They came here just because of us. They sacrificed themselves. So they are my role models. Their resilience, their perseverance, their commitment to my education,” he said.
