Quitting is NOT AN OPTION

Syrian, from Homs; seeking Undergraduate degree in Data Science and is enrolled at University of Bristol.  

I am a 29-year-old Syrian refugee. I grew up in Al-Qusayr, Homs. I left Syria to Lebanon and then to Turkey. With your donation, I was able to finish my undergraduate degree in computer science at UCSI University ranking first among my colleagues. Currently, I am seeking a graduate degree in Data Science at the University of Bristol in the UK.

My passion for computer science started at an early age. I used to accompany my mother who suffered severe headaches to the doctor’s office. Her doctor used to spend a lot of time looking for her medical records, wasting his and his patients’ time. I always thought there should be a better way of retrieving patient information. We need a healthcare system with cross-references to physicians of different specialties, laboratories, and hospitals to enable doctors to access the patient’s medical records. Coming from an 11-year-old kid in Al-Qusayr in 2004, this was pretty novel. I am pretty confident that given my skill level today, other mothers and their 11-year-old sons will not have to wait for hours while their physicians find their records.

I finished high school and got to Al-Baath University to pursue a degree in Civil engineering. I was not a big fan of this discipline, but I had no alternative. Hostilities broke out in 2011 and I could not even finish my first semester in college.

Moving to Lebanon was a major predicament. Life in a refugee camp was life without dignity. I could not pay for my education. I had to work to help my family survive.

I faced countless challenges throughout my 9 years of displacement. But I was always optimistic about my prospects, my perspectives, and how I can accomplish my goals.

I got a partial scholarship for a BTEC HND Diploma in Computing and System Development in Turkey. I graduated ranking 1st in my cohort and was awarded BTEC Silver Award Student of the Year 2019. It was a competition among over 205 academies and university students worldwide.

With your generous donation throughout my undergraduate study besides the IIE scholarship, I was able to complete my degree in computer science ranking 1st in my cohort.

I decided that it will not be the end of my education journey. I have been admitted to the University of Bristol in the UK one of the world's prestigious universities to study MSc in Data Science.

I am very persistent and passionate about learning. Completing my undergraduate degree in Computer science would open doors to develop my ideas in different fields starting with the national Syrian health care system all the way to developing solutions that improve lives of my compatriots when peace finally returns to Syria.

Why Would Donors Fund You?

• I hope that donors would have faith in me. I believe that I demonstrated my ability to triumph over my circumstances despite the challenges. I have proven myself worthy of support. Off all the testimonials above, nothing will matter more than someone telling me: I will give you a chance. To my donors I say: “I feel I have what it takes to make you proud.”

How Do You Plan to Payback?

Data science has preventive, diagnostic, and pharmaceutical applications. I want to become a healthcare data scientist and help in the reconstruction of the health sector in Syria. By establishing a research institute, I will put to use the transformational potential of data science and machine learning technologies.

Once I raise funds to buy a new computer I will donate my old computer to another student.

Once I graduated I will work to promote the role of data science in my society and help other students access higher education.

Volunteer Work/Social Capital

In Lebanon, I volunteered with Ghiras Al-Khaeer Humanitarian Association, working in the Orphans Financial Aid program. I was responsible for distributing the monthly financial aid and food rations donated by philanthropists.

Volunteered as an organizer of “Dream League Cup” in Istanbul in the summer of 2019. official Facebook page of the league (https://www.facebook.com/DreamInternationalleague/?ref=py_c).

I used to assist my colleagues at the university with their assignments and coursework.

Volunteered with edSeed as an Onboarding student advisor helping students run their campaigns.

Writing blogs on edSeed to enhance the SEO of the platform.

What Have You Done to Improve Yourself? Awards and Achievements

Education is essential to everyone, but for a refugee, it is his/her only salvation. An uneducated person will have to wait online for handouts. With the proper education, I can lend a hand to those in need.

1. I developed an Android mobile app that helps local people in Turkey find translators easily.
2. I completed a three-month online course specialized in Force Displacement run and administered by the University of Oxford.
3. I was committed to continuous learning. I attended several online courses to improve my skills as a refugee.
4. I continued to learn English on BBC and engVid, and through courses available for free online and on YouTube.
5. I attended a programming workshop sponsored by UNHCR and SAP.
6. I completed the IELTS exam to add an extra point to my academic profile.
7. I have attended several free online courses which played a vital role in improving my personal skillset.
8. I took several online courses in Big Data, Python, SQL, and machine learning.

Awards and Achievements:

1. I completed a one-year online data science program known as MIT ReAct that is administrated by MIT.
2. I have worked with the US-based company aiXplain as a data annotator.
3. I have been selected by a prominent US-based company Techstars to do a three-month internship program.
4. Golden Medal from Majed Magazine for my Outstanding achievement in 11th grade.
5. BTEC Silver Award IT And Computing Student of the year 2019. It is an international award given to the most distinguished BTEC student. The winner competes with students from 200 universities around the world.
6. Web Development Course/CERTIFICATE OF TRAINING sponsored by SAP and UNHCR.
7. Certificate of Completion after completing an online course in Big Data Science.

Press Mentions:

https://youtu.be/OX9uZFfLVLA

http://www.dubaicityinfo.com/cityguide/press_news_33844.aspx

https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/BTECAwards2019/BTEC_Awards_2019-All_Winners.pdf )

https://www.facebook.com/PearsonMEhub/posts/2283987891656375/

(https://www.facebook.com/PearsonMEhub/posts/btec-students-in-the-middle-east-are- setting-the-bar-for-excellence-in-career-fo/2283987891656375/ )