It was not safe. 

But when her family moved to Wagga, everything changed. 

The Wagga High School student will next year attend Wollongong University, after receiving early entry offers from a number of institutions. 

The 19-year-old was one of the city’s many year-12 students, who learned their HSC results on Thursday, following a gruelling two-years of study. 

But Ms Sharif said the challenges of the state syllabus were nothing compared to those faced in her home country.

Due to her Hazara ethnicity – Ms Sharif said discrimination made it difficult to attend university in Afghanistan and to be considered, students had to learn the ins and outs of every subject.

That was only if it was safe to go to school. 

Ms Sharif and her siblings were educated at home until they fled their home country to the safety of Pakistan. 

Four-years later, in December 2014, the Sharif family arrived in the Riverina. 

“One of the reason we came here was because my parents wanted a better education for us,” Ms Sharif said. 

“I loved school here … I think Wagga High School would be one of the best schools.”

While most students across the city spent hours navigating texts, theories, formulas and essays, Ms Sharif was also learning the English language. 

“It was very challenging because I only understood simple sentences,” she said. “I couldn’t understand Aussie slang.”

The 19-year-old said she was surprised this week, to learn her lowest HSC result was not English. 

With a passion for science and research, Ms Sharif said she was looking forward to studying medical science next year.

“I’m not sure where I’ll go from there,” she said.

“There are so many opportunities and options to choose from.”

Ms Sharif said Wollongong University was locked in, but she was still awaiting other offers. 

The Sharifs are one of 18 Afghani families across the region, having settled in Wagga as part of the nationally-acclaimed Riverina Humanitarian Program.