(CNN)In
a side room at the American University of Nigeria, four girls chat and
giggle. One teenage girl in particular catches our attention. She looks
familiar. Then we realize why.
We
met her just a few weeks after Boko Haram had attacked her school and
abducted almost 300 students. As the Boko Haram trucks carrying them
began to speed away to the militants' territory, she and her friend
bravely jumped, barely escaping with their lives. She was one of the
lucky ones.
School, she says, from that day on became a reminder of what almost happened. A place she never wanted to return.
But
now she is back and the change in her is remarkable. She dreams of
remaining in the classroom as a teacher, so that just like her tutors,
she can influence and inspire young minds.
Studying
with her here are 21 other girls from Chibok. They, too, escaped Boko
Haram. Like hundreds of others across Nigeria's North East, they were
targeted simply for going to school. Choosing to go back to class is a
statement of their courage and focus on education, which they hope will
bring change back home.
"My people need my support," one girl says. "And me going to school will make that change,"
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