When Ataullah Tahiri first came to the United States from Afghanistan in 2021, he said he “carried a dream of studying at Western Kentucky University.” 

Thanks to WKU’s Resilient Refugee Program, he graduated in the fall of 2025 with a finance and economics degree and is currently pursuing a Master’s in economics. 

WKU’s Resilient Refugee Program, which launched in 2022, is offered to refugee and displaced students who benefit from the Kentucky Innovative Scholarship Pilot Program. KISPP provides scholarships for refugee and displaced students to study at community colleges and universities within Kentucky. 

“As a result of the scholarship, we developed a program because the university is committed to student success,” said Associate Provost for Global Learning and International Affairs John Sunnygard. “(If) a student comes here, we want them to graduate, and so we developed this program to ensure that these students would graduate.”

WKU was one of eight U.S. colleges and universities chosen by the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers: Association of International Educators for the 2026 Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization. They were recognized as a Spotlight Award winner for their work with the WKU Resilient Refugee Program. 

“I’m so grateful for those people who helped me out, because without them, I would not be able to get into Western Kentucky University, and without their support, I would not be able to go from semester to another semester,” Tahiri said. 

The Senator Paul Simon Award is given to institutions that have demonstrated “outstanding commitment and accomplishment in campus internationalization,” according to NAFSA. It is split between the Award for Comprehensive Internationalization and the Spotlight Award. 

The Spotlight Award was given to WKU and two other of the eight recognized institutions, and recognizes a program that “contributes to internationalization on campus.” 

The Resilient Refugee Program gives access to programs and support to help navigate life as a college student, such as student and faculty mentors, courses and enrichment experiences. 

Tahiri said that whenever he had a problem while at WKU, he would reach out to mentors and supporters who were able to reach out and help him. 

“They helped me a lot to make new friends, gave me some good advice on how to keep up good grades and how to continue my journey in Western Kentucky,” Tahiri said. 

Tahiri said that he is grateful for the community at WKU and in Bowling Green for the support he has received and plans to stay in the area to give back to his community. 

Sunny said that one of the things that he loved about the Bowling Green community is how people look after each other, and the program is just another way that people are looking after each other. 

Sunnygard said. “When someone needs just a little helping hand, you give them a helping hand.”