When Iskandar Ibragimov enrolled his son, Samandar, at iHOPE nearly a decade ago, he had just one goal: “My only wish was for him to take one step,” he said.

Samandar, affectionately called Sammy, has cerebral palsy and does not use words to communicate. When he first started school, walking even a short distance seemed impossible. But through years of persistence, therapy, and encouragement at the International Academy of Hope (iHOPE), a YAI affiliate school, Samandar not only took that step, but is now crossing finish lines.