Shamila Kohestani is a delightful young woman who brings her story of life as a young woman under Taliban rule, her courageous effort to follow her passion to play a forbidden sport, her journey to pursue a college degree after missing six pivotal years of education during the Taliban, and her goal to promote sports opportunities for women and to educate, inform and motivate overall change for the women, in Afghanistan and throughout the world, who continue to endure extreme oppression.
Ten years ago Shamila was beaten by the Taliban, deprived of any education from age 8 to 13, and confined to her home in Kabul. Shortly after the Taliban were removed from power, she began to play soccer.
Her soccer involvement and position as the captain of the first Women’s Afghan National Soccer Team, led to receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2006 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles. During that trip to the U.S., she had the opportunity to attend the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership program in New Jersey.
While at the program, she met a teacher from Blair Academy who convinced the school to provide a one year scholarship to Blair, a leading boarding school in New Jersey. From Blair, through the help of the Afghan Girls Financial Assistance Fund, Shamila was awarded a four year scholarship to Drew University. While at Drew, she continued to play soccer and was named to the Dean’s list.
She graduated from Drew University in May 2012 with a degree in Political Science and is currently working as a program assistant at the International Republican Institute in Washington, D.C. and as a speaker on women’s issues globally and the life changing effect the opportunity to play sports can provide.