Mohammad, 28, is from Syria and arrived at Za’atari camp in 2012 after fleeing the war in his home country.
Mohammad was studying Arabic literature at Damascus university when he decided it was time to leave. With his brother, he left Syria and moved to Jordan, where they were planning to start a new life with their parents. “When my brother and I first got to Za’atari, the situation was difficult for single men… meaning, if they weren’t there with their families,” he explains. “It was really hard to stay [there] because we weren’t even allowed to get a tent, so my brother and I decided to leave the camp and we went to Al Chajra.” Two months later, their parents were able to join them. Mohammad and his brother started working in the cement business and after 5 years, Mohammad was finally able to go back to his studies thanks to a scholarship he was awarded.
I was hearing about scholarships but I wouldn’t apply because it was not possible for me to study, even with [financial help], when my parents needed support. My brother and I were helping them, but my brother could not do it alone. When the situation got a bit better at home, I decided to pursue my studies.
With the scholarship, Mohammad switched from Arabic literature to Business Administration. “It covered all expenses, even the transportation, student and university expenses… [...] it made it possible for the student to focus entirely on his studies,” he says. “It gave me the opportunity to continue my studies, [...] and it opened a door [...] when it was hard for me to do so.”
After he successfully graduated from Luminus Technical University College in Amman summer 2019, Mohammad ranked first in Jordan in the “Shamel exam,” the annual comprehensive final exam for community college students, with a GPA of 93.6.
Mohammad hopes to be able to advance even more in his academic career. “In the future, I hope to continue my studies if I get the opportunity, [...] [I hope] to be successful and to be beneficial to the society I live in [...] and to my country, Syria.”
