Photo by Pella Christian High School in December 2016

A Pella Christian exchange program graduate was in Afghanistan as the Taliban took over, and by the end of last week, she was able to escape.

Cindy Nikkel is the director of the Pella Christian High School exchange student program, and says 2018 graduate Halima Shokuri was visiting family before what was supposed to be her senior year at Northwestern College, but her visa was not renewed and her flight was supposed to leave back to Iowa. However, the United States military began withdrawing forces and the Taliban quickly overmatched the military of Afghanistan, leaving her trapped as the evacuation process began.

Nikkel says Shokuri and her fiancé decided to go to the airport without notification last week, and she was able to get by the crowds and found a marine. She explained her situation and showed her past I-20 papers from Pella Christian and Northwestern, plus a letter stating she was a current student at Northwestern and the marine let her in the airport. She tried to explain her fiance’s role in the office of the President of the Afghan government, but he was denied access.

Nikkel says the next step is getting Halima’s fiancé out, as well as several other members of the country trying to get away from the Taliban by this Tuesday’s deadline. Hear more about the effort on today’s Let’s Talk Pella.