Senior Rodoba Naqibullah is a typical teenager—she loves sports, music, and going shopping.

However, there is more to this typical teen than meets the eye.

Naqibullah lived in Turkmenistan before moving to the United States, where she jumped into the sixth grade curriculum. This was a new experience for Naqibullah, considering she had never attended school before.

“I’d never been to school till I was in sixth grade,” said Naqibullah.  “The reason I didn’t go to school was that my dad didn’t like the schools there [in Turkmenistan], so I used to just stay home with my mom.  I didn’t learn anything at all. My mom used to teach me how to cook and we used to clean the house.  I also watched my other baby sisters.”

Catching up to six years of learning could not have been an easy task.

“I don’t even know how I did it,” said Naqibullah.  “I know it doesn’t sound believable, but it’s true. It was hard times.”

Naqibullah also has a knack for languages.

“I speak more than five languages,” said Naqibullah.

Naqibullah speaks Uzbek, Farsi, Turkish, English, Turkmen, Hindi, and is currently learning French.  She is excited for her final year at South Lakes, now that she’s on track to graduate.

“Senior year is going to be a year to never forget.”