Selak is a student at Bishop Maginn High School, she is also taking my Writing Workshop class every Wednesday.

She was born and raised in Iraq, and her family fled the violence there to Syria, then had to flee once more to the United States several years ago. It is no longer possible for Syrian or Iraqi refugees to get to America.

Melak doubts she would be alive if she were not here. It’s hard for me to think of all the Merak’s trapped for years in overcrowded and dangerous refugee camps.

She was working on a story for my class about being a refugee student in America, then e-mailed me  last night with a new idea:

“Hey, this is Melak,  I was wondering if u can help me do an article or anything about what’s going on in my country Iraq right now. There is so much stuff happening there is a revolution going on to the point where everyone is outside to protest and no one at their home many people are helping and doing something for that and a lot of people are dying there and I couldn’t think of no one but you. If u can help that will be amazing.”

I’ve talked to Melak a number of times about her life in Iraq and Syria, she was nearly shot in the head while playing and saw more violence in her young life than most people see in a lifetime.

Melak has seen many, many, things no child should ever see, let alone almost every day year after year,  for most of her life.

Come and listen.

She loves Iraq and worries about her friends and family there.

She is impressive – intelligent, compassionate, articulate. I told her I’d like to work with her on her new story,  help her structure it and offer feedback. I asked her to describe it in this video in her own words, which are much more powerful than mine.

As a reporter, I covered many dramatic stories in my life, this one is a very powerful, sometimes horrific one, told through the ideas of a passionate and sensitive child.

I was aware of the growing violence and discontent in that country, but it is getting very little attention in the U.S. Media.  Melak is seeing it every night in powerful and brutal detail on social media sites where the protesters are posting the often disturbing video from the demonstrations.

As I mentioned in the video, I’m pleased to work with Melak on this story. She has a big and brave heart, she says she wants to go back to help her friends and family, but she knows she can’t. I’m glad for that.

We will meet shortly to write an outline together. It’s important to Melak to write this story, she is struggling with a sense of helplessness.

As you may have heard, my idea is for her to write an outline next, then I’ll edit it with her.