When Ali Fadhil (Common Ground ‘21, UConn ‘25) and his family arrived in New Haven in 2012, the nine-year-old had little understanding of the journey they were undertaking. For Ali’s father, a former hotel manager in Iraq, the decision to uproot his family was born out of necessity.
However, life in New Haven presented its own challenges. The family arrived with minimal English skills, and the process of learning a new language while navigating a foreign culture was daunting. His father, despite not speaking the language, took on any work he could find to support his family. From early mornings at Dunkin’ to late nights at local restaurants, he worked tirelessly, often relying on public transportation to get to and from his jobs.
Despite these challenges, Ali’s father instilled in his children the importance of education and the promise it held for a better future. “My dad always preached the value of college,” Ali recalls. “He knew the struggle of labor-intensive work without a degree and wanted us to have a different path.”
That path led Ali to New Haven Promise. Introduced to the program through Squash Haven during middle school, Ali initially didn’t grasp its full significance. However, as he progressed through high school and into college, the impact of New Haven Promise became clear. While he valued the financial support it provided to pursue higher education without the burden of student loans, it did much more than that—it connected him to a network of opportunities, mentors, and experiences that would shape his career and future.
This summer, Ali had the opportunity to work at the Yale Center for British Art (YCBA) in their Collections Information Access department. Ali’s internship was more than just a summer job; it was a deep dive into the world of data management and analytics, an area he had grown passionate about during his studies at UConn. On his first day, Ali’s supervisors, Emmanuelle and Carly, asked him “What do you want to learn?” and they built his internship around that.
Ali was tasked with a challenging project involving Google Analytics, where he developed a solution for tracking image downloads from the museum’s catalog. He got the chance to collaborate with the Information Technology team and with the help of their software engineer, Eric, Ali was able to build on the ideas thrown around to come to a conclusion. “The day I found the solution, I felt so happy,” Ali remembers. “It took a couple of weeks, but I felt a sense of accomplishment.”
Ali’s experience at YCBA also taught him the importance of soft skills, particularly communication. He participated in staff meetings, presented data visualizations, and worked collaboratively with various departments. These experiences not only solidified his interest in data analytics but also opened his eyes to the vast possibilities within the field.
Looking ahead, Ali is determined to build on the foundation he’s established. He plans to pursue graduate studies in financial technology, with a focus on mastering tools like PowerBI, which he hears about frequently in the industry. Ali’s ultimate goal is to work in a role where he can continue to analyze data, create visualizations, and solve complex problems.
Ali credits much of his success to the support he received from New Haven Promise. “I am just so grateful,” he says. “New Haven Promise made it easy—they connected me to the right people and the right opportunities.” He knows that without the scholarship and the connections facilitated by New Haven Promise, his journey might have looked very different. “Part of why I can go to college is because of New Haven Promise. Without it, I would have had to take out loans and struggle to pay them back later.”
Ali’s story is a testament to the profound impact that New Haven Promise has on the lives of young people in New Haven. It’s not just about financial aid; it’s about opening doors, creating opportunities, and building a future where anything is possible. Ali, one of five children, plans to inspire his younger siblings to earn the Promise scholarship, just as his older sister, Noor (Common Ground ’20, UConn ’25), did for him.
For Ali, who once felt like an outsider navigating a new country, the support of New Haven Promise has helped him find a place where he truly belongs—a place where he can thrive. As he continues his journey, he carries the lessons and values instilled by his father and nurtured by the New Haven Promise community. ‘It made me happy to have my dad see me go to work each day and know that I can give back to my family.’