“People are pawns in the game of politics” — City St George’s student on graduating first in class despite home country being involved in a war

A student speaker at this month's graduation ceremony from graduate entry LLB programme, Gisoo Akhavan Foumani details the shock and grief of watching her homeland unravel into war. She shares how she turned her pain into purpose.

“One day I woke up and that's it, the one tick on WhatsApp never turned into two,” speaking about the day when the internet was cut off in her home city of Rasht in Iran. “I couldn't talk to my family when I was in the middle of my exams. The only connection I had to them was through the news. And the media is hardly ever reliable.

“It was so hard for me to navigate between what's accurate and inaccurate. Especially because the Persian community doesn't have a good news outlet for people outside Iran to know what's going on because they're heavily influenced by the media's agenda,” she said.

This was not the first time something like this had happened to her; the internet had been cut off on multiple occasions. But this time was different. There had been no signals of it unfolding, nor any preparation on how to deal with it. She felt torn between giving her studies everything she had and desperately searching for a way to reach her parents.

Soon after the conflict began, her mother succeeded in calling her on several occasions. Gisoo had to wait by her phone constantly, anticipating calls that came without warning. With no internet available, her parents used unconventional methods to get in touch, like connecting via international numbers. Barely 30 seconds long, they were just enough to reassure Gisoo they were well.

She was amazed by the kindness people showed even during the most devastating period. When any of her acquaintances gained access to the network, they offered to check up on her parents.

“People are so amazing even if they are going through so much hardship. They’re still willing to help you because they know you're outside. People that I haven't talked to in a while would offer to call my parents for me. It's kind of crazy how far we must go just to know how our family is doing,” she added.

I had no idea how I should navigate if something happened to my family. Do I just continue studying and be this courageous person that just keeps going despite everything that's happening or do I just give up? I only had two choices.

She chose the former and immersed herself in the world of law.

“I used law as a refuge for myself because whenever I studied law, I wouldn't think of anything else. That focus was my only sanctuary. I turned my pain into purpose. Even though it was painful, I felt privileged to still be able to study.”

The academic staff at City St George’s were very supportive throughout that difficult period. They made sure Gisoo was aware of the support and options available to her.

“It was comforting to know that resources were there if I needed them. Having that support network and knowing the university cared about students going through difficult circumstances made a real difference,” she added.

Gisoo came through her exams with flying colours. She was one of the few students selected to give a speech at graduation. Even though the internet had been restored by this time, her family wasn't able to attend the graduation. “The flights get cancelled quite often and there's always a risk of travelling at such times,” she explained. They cheered for her from Iran while her distant family surprised her on the day.

People don't know how privileged they are. They can freely go back to their country without being worried about their safety. It was such a nice feeling that I really wanted to have as well but I couldn't. Finishing as the top-performing student in my cohort feels weird because despite doing law, I didn't have the basic human rights, like freedom of information. I had no information about my family during my studies.

Studying law has given her a sharper view of politics. She shares how it feels to watch her home country suffer through war while dealing with deep secondary trauma.

War is never the answer. It's such a conflicting feeling because it's 2026 and nobody should go through that. Especially when people are thinking about how to develop AI. And then you see all these people that are so kind and have immense potential being cut off from the whole world. It is very hard to see, and you feel like nobody has to go through that, but it's a reality that happens. People are the pawns in the game of politics.

Having lived in Iran till the age of 18, she contrasts the stunning landscape with the country’s negative image in the news. “It's such a beautiful country. The people are so hospitable. It has some of the best dishes I've ever had. And yet the media shows it like some dark and grey place, but it's not that. My friends don't believe the pictures I show them of Iran because they don't think it could be real.”

With a new job on the horizon, Gisoo is driven to help others navigate the same path she once walked. “I really want to guide people to achieve their dreams. I aspire to be that person. I still have a lot to achieve, but if only I can change one person’s path, then I'll be happy.”