What happens when a student has the ambition to dream bigger, but circumstances make that dream seem out of reach? For many young people, financial hardship can quietly turn aspirations into compromises. A university degree becomes a distant possibility, not because of a lack of ability or determination, but because the means to pursue it simply are not there. Darwesh’s story is a reminder of what can happen when someone is given the opportunity to keep going.
From the classrooms of Rahnuma Public School to pursuing a BS in Computer Science at Iqra University, Darwesh’s journey has been shaped by perseverance, uncertainty and the people who refused to let his circumstances define his future. His path was not without obstacles. There was a point when higher education seemed as though it might have to be put on hold. Yet, through the support of his family and the school that had been part of his earliest educational years, an unexpected opportunity opened a new door.
Today, Darwesh is looking towards a future in Artificial Intelligence, hoping to use technology to solve real-world problems and contribute to a rapidly changing field. But his story is about more than becoming a computer scientist. It is about the transformative power of education — and what becomes possible when a young person is given not just a place to learn, but a reason to believe that their future can be bigger than their circumstances.
Rahnuma Public School was founded by the Path Education Society to address the educational needs of 520 children between the ages of four and sixteen, from nursery through matriculation. With a focus on families facing financial constraints, the school aims to make quality education accessible to children who may otherwise struggle to continue their education.
For Darwesh, Rahnuma became the starting point of that journey.
Where It All Began
Reflecting on his time at Rahnuma, Darwesh describes his school years as a period in which he grew not only academically but personally.
The school gave him more than classroom education. His teachers, he recalls, were experienced, hardworking and supportive. They instilled in him values such as discipline, hard work and the importance of education — lessons that he says have continued to guide him.
After completing school, Darwesh went on to study at DJ Science College, where he spent two years completing his FSc. He describes his college experience positively, particularly because the education was affordable and gave him the opportunity to learn from good teachers and meet people from different backgrounds.
At that stage, continuing his education did not seem impossible.
The real challenge came after college.
When Higher Education Seemed Out of Reach
After completing his FSc, Darwesh wanted to pursue Computer Science at a government university. He applied to institutions including the University of Karachi and NED University, hoping to secure admission in the field he was passionate about.
However, the competition for Computer Science was intense, and he was unable to secure admission.
His next option was to consider private universities. But there was another obstacle waiting for him: affordability.
With his family’s financial circumstances making private university fees difficult to manage, Darwesh found himself facing a difficult and uncertain period. He had the desire to continue his education but was unsure how he would be able to afford it.
For a while, the possibility of putting his university education on hold became real.
“I never wanted to give up on my education,” Darwesh recalls.
He decided to wait and apply again to government universities the following year. It was not the outcome he had hoped for, but he remained determined to find a way forward.
Then came an unexpected opportunity from a familiar place.
The School That Came Back for Him
During this difficult period, Rahnuma Public School once again became part of Darwesh’s educational journey.
Ma’am Homera, who had been connected to his school journey, contacted him and helped him receive a scholarship that enabled him to secure admission to Iqra University.
For Darwesh, the moment was deeply emotional.
After worrying that his financial circumstances might prevent him from attending university, he suddenly had an opportunity to continue pursuing the education he had worked towards for years.
The support also reinforced something he had learned throughout his journey: circumstances can create obstacles, but they do not necessarily have to determine the outcome.
For him, the scholarship was not simply financial assistance. It was a renewed sense of possibility.
Finding His Place in Artificial Intelligence
Once at university, Darwesh’s interests began to develop further. While pursuing his BS in Computer Science, he became increasingly fascinated by Artificial Intelligence.
He was particularly interested in the way AI was changing how people learn, work and solve problems.
The launch and growing use of ChatGPT also played a role in sparking his curiosity. As he explored the technology, he began to recognise its potential and wanted to understand what was happening behind the tools themselves.
One of the people who further influenced his interest was his teacher and mentor, Dr. Danish Usmani, Director of Data and AI. Learning from someone working in the field encouraged Darwesh to explore AI more seriously and consider building his career around it.
For Darwesh, AI is not simply another technological trend. He sees it as a field that will increasingly shape the future, particularly for those who are willing to understand and adapt to it.
This has motivated him to learn more about intelligent systems and how AI can be applied to real-world problems.
His ambition extends beyond simply using existing AI tools. He hopes to eventually become someone who can contribute to developing AI technologies that are useful to society.
From Opportunity to Responsibility
Darwesh’s story is ultimately about more than reaching university.
It is about what can happen when education, determination and opportunity meet.
His journey began at a school created with the belief that financial circumstances should not determine whether a child receives quality education. Years later, when those same financial circumstances threatened to interrupt his higher education, Rahnuma Public School was there again.
That continuity is what makes his story particularly meaningful.
Rahnuma Public School’s mission is to provide children from underprivileged backgrounds with quality education and help shape them into successful, law-abiding citizens of 21st-century Pakistan. Darwesh’s journey reflects that mission in action — from a young student in its classrooms to a university student preparing for a future in one of the world’s fastest-developing fields.
Perhaps the most powerful part of Darwesh’s story is not simply where he is today, but how easily his journey could have taken a different direction. There was a time when a lack of financial resources stood between him and the education he had worked so hard to pursue. His story therefore raises a question that extends far beyond one student: how many capable young people are forced to abandon their dreams, not because they lack talent or ambition, but because they lack the opportunity to continue?
Darwesh’s journey shows us what becomes possible when that opportunity is provided. The scholarship he received did more than help him enter university; it allowed him to keep moving towards a future he had once feared might be out of reach. Today, his ambitions in Artificial Intelligence represent not only his own determination, but also the impact of investing in a young person’s potential. His story reminds us that education is not simply about classrooms, degrees or careers. It is about giving young people the confidence to imagine a life beyond the limitations of their circumstances, and the support to turn that imagination into reality. When we choose to invest in education, we are not simply changing one student’s future. We are giving that student the possibility of shaping the future of others, too.