WEST SPRINGFIELD — Sara Almoula understands what many refugee students have been through. She was 14 when her family came to West Springfield in May 2010 as refugees from Iraq.

“I’m sure there are students at Coburn Elementary School who have had a similar experience to mine, who have lived their lives in terror and fear that some somebody’s going to come after them or their family. I can relate to those students,” said Almoula, who is now a pre-kindergarten through grade 1 adjustment counselor at the school.

She and her family fled Iraq when her father was targeted and put on a “killing list” because of his work as a translator with the U.S. military. The summer they arrived, Almoula, who spoke Arabic and Kurdish, but “zero English,” attended a summer program for English language learners at Coburn. The school has been an important part of her life ever since.

She quickly learned English and by her senior year at West Springfield High School she was taking mainstream classes. Graduating in 2013, she then went to Springfield Technical Community College for two years and then Elms College for a degree in social work.

While a full-time college student, Almoula also worked in various positions in the West Springfield schools, including as a paraprofessional at Coburn. After getting her master’s degree in social work, she left Coburn to work as an elementary school counselor in Springfield.

When the new Coburn Elementary School building opened in late August, Almoula was back at the school. Said Almoula, now married and living in Springfield, “My heart was always here in Coburn. I always wanted to come back. I’m very happy right now with my job and my life.”

Almoula credits West Springfield schools for her success: “It was hard to come here, but it happened. The school system was really good for me. My family was happy about everything we had, because we came with nothing and we were fortunate to have a great school system for me and my siblings,” she said.

She recalled that there wasn’t as much support in the schools and in the community when her family arrived. Almoula, now 26, said when she was a student, it was hard for her and her family because they didn’t have any information or resources translated into their native language.

“There are a lot of good resources for refugee students now,” she said. “Even papers that go home are translated to make sure families are aware of things happening at school. It makes families feel like they’re part of the Coburn community.”

“That really makes me feel happy. I feel like we’re connecting with these refugees and we’re making them part of the school,” added Almoula, who is one of three counselors at the school. She now has the opportunity help new refugee students get acclimated to life in this country.

The school’s principal, David Drugan, said after the interview team talked with Almoula this summer, they “jumped at the chance” to hire her. He added that having her in the position has been an “invaluable” resource for refugee students because of her past experience.

“Having Sara as a voice at the table helps students and parents. It’s truly important. Not only can she recognize some of the signs, but she can also intercept any concerns, hopefully before they manifest. Sara not only puts students at ease, but she also gives some peace of mind to families we work with,” said Drugan.

According to Drugan, school enrollment is nearly 600 students, with about 50 percent English learners in kindergarten through grade 5, 16 percent of whom are refugees.

“Coburn, like some other buildings in other districts, is the English learner school,” Drugan said. “Refugees, who have a first language other than English, come here because we offer language support services.”

Almoula, who became a U.S. citizen in 2016 but also retains her Iraqi citizenship, understands how traumatizing it can be for students and their families when they suddenly have to leave their home country. She wants to make sure all of her students are “in a good place” with their academic and social-emotional needs, but she has a particular understanding of how to reach refugee students and families.

“Some kids who are on my caseload are refugees and I do push for social-emotional learning,” she said. “One reason I do this is because counselors were never part of our school system back home, as well as in many other countries. I want to make sure parents are aware of how our programs can support them and their children.”

Almoula said she’s had good feedback from parents about those school services. She added that it helps that she can build trust with refugee families – who, like other families, want the best for their children.

“Education is number one — everything else comes after,” she said. “So that’s why it’s huge for them.”

She added that that having staff at Coburn, like herself, who have diverse backgrounds also helps refugee families feel more comfortable and part of the school.

“We have so many staff who come from different areas. When parents see someone like me and many other diverse staff, families feel more comfortable. They don’t feel like outsiders,” said Almoula. “It shows that were making diversity an important part of the school and not any afterthought.”

Almoula explained that because she worked as a paraprofessional at the school, she has a positive relationship with the teaching staff at Coburn.

“I’m more than happy for them to come to me to ask about my culture and background. It’s a great way to help them become more aware — even if they can go online and read about it. It’s not the same as talking with a person who has lived that experience.”