You spent 12 years as a refugee in Pakistan. What was it like, living that life and trying to pursue your education?

“My father was an economist [in Afghanistan]. He had a very good job with one of the departments in the government, and then suddenly he didn’t have anything. It’s like — imagine a controller in one of New York’s companies suddenly moves to another country, and no one cares about what he knows or what he does, and he can’t use his knowledge. I’m sure it was very difficult for them to see us growing up not in the way they had probably dreamt for us.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of sexual assault in India, especially the assault of women and street harassment. It’s the same in Pakistan. And it gets worse when you’re a refugee. Because you’re not registered with the government, police are not going to protect you. You’re kind of off the grid. The only people who can actually protect you [are] your father, uncle, or brothers. Those who can physically support you when you actually face that sexual harassment when you go to school, when you go to work, or when you just leave the house.

“A lot of families didn’t let their daughters go to school because of that. Because they couldn’t protect them, or they didn’t have the time to protect them, or they weren’t as persistent as my parents. So [the girls] just stayed at home, because that was the safest thing for them to do, and I think that’s what makes me feel really lucky.

“I don’t think we would have been where we are if it wasn’t for [my parents]. We got very lucky that we had very openminded and very progressive parents.”