Afghanistan's Top High School Graduate Fears for Her Future

Salgy Baran got the highest score in all of Afghanistan on her university entrance exams this year, but she has no answers for what comes next.

The 18-year-old wants to stay and become a doctor, but as with so many other Afghans, those plans were plunged into doubt when the Taliban rolled into the capital of Kabul earlier this month, capping their stunning takeover of the country. Taliban leaders say women and girls will be able to attend school and work in accordance with Islamic law — without providing specifics — even as other prominent members of the militant group have sneered at the idea of coed classrooms and hinted at more reactionary measures. “I am not afraid right now, but I am concerned about my future," Baran told The Associated Press in a video interview from Kabul. “Will they allow me to get an education or not?”