At sixteen this young girl from Afghanistan survived a deadly attack by ISIS on her academy. Shamsia Alizada, now 18, was among the few who missed a suicide blast that killed more than 40 students and injured many others. Shocked and shaken, she dropped out from the academy for sometime and later returned after encouragement from her teachers.

"I was lucky," as Alizada spoke with Thomson Reuters Foundation in Kabul.

Alizada, is graduate of Asif Mayeel High School in Kabul. She narrowly escaped a suicide bombing at the Mawoud Academy educational centre in the city’s Dasht-e-Barchi area back in August 2018. She was to give an exam that day.

The daughter of an Afghan coal miner, Alizada now dreams of becoming the President. For the immediate moment, she aspires to be a doctor. She hopes to become a brain surgeon, but is also considering a diplomatic career, she said, adding, "one day, I'd even like to be the first female president."

Alizada who, returned to the academy and topped her exams, now plans to study at the University of Kabul.

Her older brother is studying engineering in India and she said she hoped to also win a scholarship to study in Britain, the United States or Canada.

Afghan female student overcomes bombing to take nation's top marks