We are saddened to report that a student on a State Department program administered by American Councils was killed today in a high school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas. Sabika Aziz Sheikh was a Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) student from Karachi, Pakistan and was hosted in Texas during the 2017-18 academic year.
At American Councils, exchange students are at the heart of our work, and we are grieving this tragic loss of life. We pride ourselves on the 24/7 emergency support we provide to all our students and encourage any student who is struggling with this loss to speak with their family, local coordinator, or point of contact at American Councils.
Exchange is an experience filled with new discoveries and friendship. We are devastated that this tragedy has become part of the narrative for one of our students. We send our deepest condolences to Sabika’s friends, family, and loved ones in the U.S., Pakistan, and around the world.
We will not be making any other public statement to respect Sabika and her family’s privacy.