I am writing this letter to express my deepest gratitude to all those people who made significant contributions in my life changing journey to Atlas Corps so far. They say “a journey of thousand miles begins with a single step “, and I firmly believe this is one of those steps that will bring me closer to my ultimate goal of serving humanity and making the world a better place. Without any further ado, let me take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my Lord and to all those wonderful people who made it possible for me to be a part of the Atlas Corps tribe.
I am thankful to Allah for showing me the light at the end of tunnel at the time when I 
was about to give up. I am thankful to Him for responding to my call when I needed it the most. Yes, receiving an Offer letter from Michigan Women’s Foundation was one of the most beautiful things that happened to me in 2018.
I am thankful to my mother for her 
unconditional love, care, struggles and prayers that have always accompanied me no matter where I have been. I am thankful to her for believing in me despite all the odds and instilling in me the values that will help me in navigating through this journey. Thank you for your sacrifices that you made to make me a better version of myself.
I am thankful to Scot Beale and his team for their 
efforts to bring social change leaders from across the world to a single platform and make us realize that despite our differences we are connected to each other and share certain common values. I am inspired by his personal motto that “We have more power to change the world than we realize”. It surprises me to see how the vision of a single person can impact the lives of so many people across borders and around the globe. Thank you, Atlas Corps, for introducing me to the concept of Ubuntu; “I am because we are.”
My heartiest thanks to Harriet & Alvin Saperstein for their warm hospitality that ensured my smooth transition to a new city and that made me at home in this new land. I am inspired by the unique way by which they are making long lasting impression on people’s lives and memories. The Saperstein’s love for experience sharing, desire to interact with people from diverse ethnic groups, curiosity for understanding the world from a different perspective – is the motivation behind hosting hundreds of people from across the world. Our auto tours, bicycle rides, visit to exotic places, and my introduction to wonderful people in their network made me acquainted with Detroit in a very short period of time.
I am thankful to my fellow fellows, entire Atlas Corps Community & all those people who crossed my life path; some of them inspired me; some encouraged me ;and some challenged me. They somehow shaped my thoughts and my life and made me who I am today. I strongly believe that by the end of this Atlas Corps Journey I will not be the same person, but stronger and better equipped to move forward with my life goals. Warmly,Anaam Arif
