Five years ago, Shahad Al-Azazi, 15, and her family came to Sweden.
In a couple of months, she will graduate and probably become Sweden’s youngest springer.
– Several people told me that I would never catch up with the others, but I didn’t let that affect me, she says.
In 2018, Shahad, 15, came to Sweden and in a short time she was able to learn Swedish. She skipped classes and finished elementary school with top grades. Soon she will graduate, about two years ahead of her cohort.
– After two weeks in Sweden, I started saying complete sentences, she says.
But it hasn’t always been easy for her.
“Lost myself”
Shahad was born in Iraq in 2007, when she was two years old, the family moved to the Netherlands. She lived there until she was ten years old and then moved to Södertälje. She had to start in the fifth grade.
– It was quite difficult in the beginning. I was often sad when I came home because the other children used to say “first you need to learn the language before we can play with you”. I felt I was behind.
During a development interview, the teacher told Shahad that she passed all subjects except NO and Swedish.
– I felt that I had lost myself. I always had top marks in the Netherlands.
Shahad decided to start studying and catch up.
– One day she came to me crying and said “I promise to be better than everyone else in the class”, says her mother Zinah.
Woke up in the middle of the night
Shahad started studying every day after school. She asked many questions in class and asked the teachers for extra tasks.
– I studied a lot at home. If I had an exam, I used to wake up in the middle of the night to double check that I knew everything for the exam.
It didn’t take long for Shahad to catch up. The studies did not feel as challenging to her anymore.
Skipped two classes
– When Shahad was in the sixth grade, everything was too easy for her. I started googling and saw that it was possible to skip a class so we decided to talk to the school, says Zinah.
The school agreed to move her up a grade. After the sixth grade, Shahad could start the eighth grade. She then managed to complete both grade eight and grade nine in one year. In the summer of 2021, she finished elementary school with 337.5 points in merit value. She got A in all subjects except Swedish and English, where she got B.
After that, Shahad started studying at the Correspondence High School in Kalmar County. She is currently studying the nature program remotely and at her own pace.
Do you feel like you’re missing out on things that others your age do?
– I train and compete in tennis, where I meet many new people. I also play the violin and piano and there are many children my age with whom I can play and talk.
In December, Shahad will finish his high school studies. She will probably be Sweden’s youngest student.
– I am very happy and proud of her, says Zinah.
After high school, she wants to enter the medical program and become a surgeon in the future.