American Scholar Accepted to Prestigious University in Paris
Zaahir Hardaway with AUP tote bag and "I'm in" sign
April 2024 IYLP all-male cohort at the American University of Paris
April 2024 IYLP all-male cohort meeting with AUP admissions
This occurs only months after visiting Paris for first time with the Wells International Foundation.
PARIS, FRANCE, December 29, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Zaahir Hardaway, a rising young scholar and emerging global citizen, has been accepted to the American University of Paris (AUP). His acceptance follows a life-changing international experience in Paris as part of the first all-male cohort of Going Global with Barbara’s International Youth Leadership Program (IYLP), a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to expanding global access and awareness for Black youth and one of the Wells International Foundation’s key partner organizations.
The IYLP excursion was organized by Going Global with Barbara under the leadership of its founder and president, Barbara Eubanks, and in partnership with the Wells International Foundation. Designed to introduce Black American youth to international education, develop their leadership skills and provide them with an opportunity for cultural immersion, IYLP thoughtfully and intentionally challenges the systemic barriers that have historically limited Black students’ access to global academic spaces.
In April 2024, Zaahir was one of seven Black male middle and high school students selected to travel to Paris, France through IYLP. He embarked on this first international travel experience at the age of 15. Before the week-long trip was over, his view of himself, his future, and his place in the world were completely transformed.
The Wells International Foundation organized two college tours for the cohort’s Paris visit, one of which was at AUP. Zaahir and his fellow students attended an opening session with AUP admissions, followed by a tour of the urban campus led by two Black male AUP students. That evening, they attended a networking event where they interacted with AUP and other Afro-descendent anglophone college students.
Wells International Foundation Founder & CEO Dr. Monique Y. Wells was especially gratified to learn of Zaahir’s application and acceptance to AUP. “It is truly significant that the first person from IYLP to be accepted to an undergraduate institution in Paris is male,” she said.
“Prior to the April 2024 excursion, Going Global had great difficulty recruiting young men for its travel experiences – so much so that in 2024, WIF and Going Global collaborated on a three-part panel discussion to explore the reasons so few Black males travel or study abroad. Going Global successfully organized its first all-male cohort of students only a month after our first panel discussion. Zaahir was a member of that cohort. And look at the result!”
Zaahir’s acceptance to AUP is particularly notable given the persistent inequities in access to international education for Black students. Analysis of the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors data shows that Black men represent fewer than 3 percent of U.S. students who study abroad. Through IYLP and the Entrée to Black Paris Cultural Awareness Program, Going Global and WIF are working to close this tremendous gap by creating early and supportive access to international learning experiences.
Zaahir’s achievement is both a personal milestone and a collective victory. His journey from his first passport stamp to a future at a prestigious international university is powerful evidence that “if you can see it, you can be it.” He will begin his undergraduate studies at AUP in Fall 2026.
About the Wells International Foundation
The Wells International Foundation (WIF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women, children and youth, and people of African descent through educational and cultural programming. Through its Entrée to Black Paris Cultural Awareness Program, it creates transformative international learning experiences that expand self-awareness, awaken cultural curiosity, and cultivate a sense of global citizenship.
About Going Global with Barbara
Going Global with Barbara, LLC is an educational travel company offering domestic and international programs to families, schools and youth organizations across the US. The company hosts International Youth Leadership Programs in several countries, including France, Spain, Senegal, and Jordan. Since its inception, Going Global has been empowering students and adults through immersive learning experiences that foster global awareness, travel competency, cultural appreciation, and leadership development.
Deborah Harlow
Wells International Foundation
+1 415-305-2747
support@wellsinternationalfoundation.org
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