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The 2025 Brennan Symposium featured Luma Mufleh the founder of the Fugees Academy, a school dedicated to serving refugee students. Mufleh opened her talk in Arabic, which turned out to be a lesson on simple math problems. She explained that the confusion in the room mirrored the daily reality for millions of English learners across the U.S.

For over two decades, Mufleh has been working to transform the American education system, advocating for approaches that meet children where they are. One of her earliest inspirations? Dolly Parton in the film聽9 to 5,聽鈥媤ho聽challenged the status quo to create a more just workplace for women. Mufleh admired t鈥媓e character's聽courage and action.

Born in Amman, Jordan, Mufleh came to the U.S. to attend Smith College.聽鈥婭n her senior year, while her peers were preparing for jobs and grad school, she was preparing for her asylum interview. As a gay, Arab, and Muslim woman鈥攁 combination she jokingly called a 鈥渉at trick鈥� in soccer鈥攔eturning to Jordan was not safe.

After graduation, she moved to the South, trying a range of jobs in search of purpose. One day, while driving to her restaurant shift, a wrong turn brought that purpose. She spotted a group of barefoot children joyfully playing soccer. The next week, she returned to the spot with a new soccer ball, offering it in exchange for a chance to play.聽On the many visits, she learned their stories and found out that they鈥檇 never been part of a soccer team. And with that knowledge, she was inspired to start a soccer team. The Fugees, a play on the word re(fugees), team was born. The children鈥攔efugees from places like Afghanistan, Liberia, Sudan, and Bosnia鈥攚ere excited and energized to be part of a team surrounded by others with similar experiences; they gained confidence, and above all, found belonging.

But this聽story doesn鈥檛 end with soccer. Mufleh listened to her players and realized their struggles extended beyond the field. Many were being passed through school grades despite being unable to read. One player from Burundi shared how isolating it was not to speak English鈥攈ow saying 鈥測es鈥� to everything, thinking it was the right answer, often got him into trouble. Mufleh saw the need for a school that truly served these kids. Funders, however, often sought feel-good stories of refugee students reaching the Ivy League. Mufleh challenged that narrative. To her, innovation requires imagination鈥攓uestioning norms, staying flexible, speaking up, and deeply listening. A few, however,聽were inspired to support her vision.

The Fugees Academy began modestly: six students, one teacher in a church basement. Within five years, enrollment grew to 96 students, but demand far exceeded capacity. She lobbied to change laws that barred state funding for schools like hers, garnering local and House support, only to be blocked in the Senate.

Undeterred, Mufleh leveraged her network and fundraising expertise. In 2018, a second Fugees Academy opened in Columbus, Ohio. The pandemic became an inflection point. Her team broadened their mission, encouraging public school districts to adopt the Fugees model鈥攑rioritizing individualized聽learning and support, and embedding arts and athletics in the curriculum.鈥� Students begin their day with yoga exercises.聽Their first partner鈥� was the聽Bowling Green鈥� school district in聽Kentucky.

This initiative, coined as聽Project Tesanga鈥攏amed for a Senegalese word meaning 鈥渂elonging鈥濃�攊s showing powerful results. Students are鈥� exceeding expectations,聽reading at or above grade level聽after just one year of instruction.

Mufleh鈥檚 message was clear: don't be discouraged by rejection. If you're a square peg in a round hole, create a square hole.

She closed by recalling her first visit鈥� at eight years old聽to a refugee camp in Jordan with her grandmother, herself a refugee from Syria. Her grandmother reminded her that charity can often be a 鈥渙ne and done鈥� effort, but real impact comes by asking:聽What鈥檚 next?

Winston Center Staff