“I come from a family of seven members. My father is a disabled person and unemployed, and my mother works as a school supervisor. I have three brothers and one sister. In my childhood, I worked with my brothers in selling corn and legumes to ensure our expenses. Despite the harsh financial circumstances my family was living, I made the best I can to pursue my studies. I have chosen the field of Psychological Counselling, first because I love it and then because I am interested in social and psychological issues. Also, I want to help others overcome their life difficulties and hard moments. I gave workshops and seminars to children and adolescents in several fields. I worked as a psychologist at the American Syrian Association as well as a counselor in Islamic schools during an academic semester and as a volunteer trainee at Injaz Foundation for months. I also taught students during an academic semester and I did voluntary work and was responsible for Koranic activities and recreational activities at schools. I consider myself as an ambitious person. I have many goals I want to achieve. I love reading and learning everything new about psychology. The major difficulties I have faced, especially during my bachelor’s studies were financial. I struggled to ensure some academic requirements such as books and stationery, or to ensure personal needs. I got the student Support Fund Scholarship for the Bachelor. I aspire to pursue Doctoral studies in my field and to have a special center to provide counselling and psychotherapy services to those in need. I also want to work as a university teacher and I hope I will be the reason behind the happiness of others and to give back hope to desperate people. I cannot express how grateful and thankful I am. HOPES helped me achieve part of my dreams and brought joy to my mother’s life. Completing higher studies was my dream since secondary school, but I could not study because of the financial situation. I was almost depressed and hopeless, and honestly, I used to cry at night for not being able to achieve my dream, until you came and gave me back hope. I thank you so much for helping me achieve part of my dreams. To other students facing the same challenges I say to not give up, hold on to your dreams, do your best to achieve your goals, for life is full of obstacles and challenges, but with hope, seriousness and efforts, you can overcome them.”
By Amal Al Numerat
2019
