Our Story
The idea for SchoolBuddies sparked in 2022 when high school student Laila Bapna noticed the lack of resources specifically targeted toward youth refugees. She had been tutoring refugee students for several years and saw how unfair barriers, including language differences, past trauma, and gaps in education caused refugees to fall behind in school. In the spring of 2022, Laila met Frozan Mohammadi, a refugee from Afghanistan then in her junior year of high school in Colorado. Together, Laila and Frozan created SchoolBuddies with the hope that it would lead to more equal footing for refugees in school.
Our Mission
Our mission is to give youth refugees the resources to succeed in school and beyond.
Our Vision
Our vision is a world where youth refugees are supported and empowered in their academic journeys.
Our Team
Laila N. Bapna
Founder
Laila lives in Bethesda, Maryland, and is a junior at Georgetown Day School in Washington DC. She began working on SchoolBuddies through a social entrepreneurship lab at her school during the spring of 2022. Her passion for supporting refugees sparked from tutoring refugee students. Also, her grandfather was a refugee during the Partition of India, which brings this cause close to her heart. In her free time, Laila loves spending time with family and friends, reading, watching comedies, playing tennis, and walking her dog.
Frozan Mohammadi
Co-Founder
Frozan is a senior at Arvada West School in Denver, Colorado. She is on track to complete the dental assistant program at Warren Tech before graduation. She began working on SchoolBuddies with Laila in 2022. Frozan taught English in Afghanistan for 3 years. For Frozan, SchoolBuddies is an opportunity to use her experience as a refugee navigating the labyrinth of American culture, economic, and political systems to help others. Her hobbies include spending time and providing support to her large family in America and overseas. She likes painting, writing, walking, and watching scary movies.