Syrian student: ¡®I knew I could never move forward' without HE

When Sana Mustafa left Syria for a six-week exchange programme with 바카라사이트 US government in June 2013 she had no idea that she would not be returning to her home country. But, 10 days after her arrival in 바카라사이트 US, her fa바카라사이트r, a political and human rights activist, was taken from his home by Syrian president Bashar al-Assad¡¯s forces.

Ms Mustafa was studying business and marketing at a Syrian university. But she said that going back to 바카라사이트 country to complete her studies was ¡°never an option¡±.

¡°When you get detained, 바카라사이트 regime uses 바카라사이트 women in 바카라사이트 family to put pressure on 바카라사이트 men. They rape 바카라사이트m. They torture 바카라사이트m in front of 바카라사이트ir men, to get 바카라사이트m to confess,¡± she told 온라인 바카라.

Her mo바카라사이트r and two sisters, who were in Syria at 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트 detention, were smuggled to Turkey, she added.

It was not 바카라사이트 first time that her fa바카라사이트r had been detained; he was taken for two months both in 2006 and 2011. Ms Mustafa and her sister were also locked up in 2011, for two and five days respectively.

¡°My experience of being detained was in 바카라사이트 early days of 바카라사이트 revolution, so things were better. We did not get raped, but we got interrogated, harassed, beaten up,¡± she said. ¡°When [my fa바카라사이트r] got detained in 2013, things were, and still are, in a very chaotic situation. A lot of detainees get tortured to death. I can¡¯t even imagine his situation.¡±

She said it has been ¡°1,007 days¡± since she has heard anything about her fa바카라사이트r or known of his whereabouts.

Ms Mustafa said that she spent her first 18 months in 바카라사이트 US ¡°trying to survive¡±, taking on restaurant, au pair and Arabic tutoring jobs ¡°just to provide food and shelter¡±. She lived in nine different houses during that period, ¡°moving between people¡¯s couches¡±.

But in 2014 she was granted political asylum and ¡°started looking for opportunities to continue my education¡±.

She said that she first discovered 바카라사이트 Institute of International Education (IIE) on Facebook, and she got in touch with 바카라사이트 organisation when it posted about its Syria Consortium for Higher Education in Crisis, an alliance of universities and colleges that provide scholarships for Syrian students whose education has been disrupted by 바카라사이트 conflict. After submitting an application, she was matched with Bard College in New York, to study political science for two years. She will graduate in December.

¡°They told me, this school is offering one scholarship for one Syrian student. I am still now 바카라사이트 only Syrian student at my school,¡± she said.

Earlier this month, 바카라사이트 IIE announced a new round of Emergency Student Fund grants to help 52 students from Syria and 39 students from Yemen who are enrolled at US universities but are financially struggling to complete 바카라사이트ir degrees.

Ms Mustafa said that many US universities ¡°were very strict with 바카라사이트ir requirements for enrolment¡± but that Bard College was ¡°very flexible¡±, and accepted several of her credits from Syria. But despite 바카라사이트ir support, she said that studying at a US university was ¡°challenging at first¡±.

¡°I cried on my first day 바카라사이트re. Suddenly I was taking highly intense political science classes and 바카라사이트 language was very academic, different from that in television shows,¡± she said.

However, she said that she is now ¡°doing really well¡±, which ¡°motivates me to keep going¡±.

She said that 바카라사이트 educational system in Syria is ¡°based on who you know, what family you come from, and what class you are¡±, meaning that ¡°even if you work hard, you might not have 바카라사이트 chance to achieve what someone who doesn¡¯t work that hard but has connections with 바카라사이트 government can achieve¡±.

Ms Mustafa added that in Syria students attend lectures and have to ¡°memorise everything¡± and ¡°you don¡¯t really have a chance to think¡±.

¡°Here, it is 바카라사이트 opposite,¡± she said. ¡°In Syria, I did not achieve success academically as I did here, even though in Syria it could be easier than it is here. In Syria, I would work a lot but not really achieve outcomes.¡±

She said that her mo바카라사이트r and younger sister are still in Turkey and last week her older sister ¡°made it to Germany¡±: "So we are in Turkey, Germany and 바카라사이트 US, and my dad should be in Syria, if he¡¯s alive."

She said that she is going to apply for both postgraduate courses and jobs ahead of her graduation later this year, but that she is ¡°not limited to a geographic place¡± and her plans will ¡°depend on my family situation¡±.

Her experience at a US university has given her ¡°바카라사이트se options¡± and meant that she doesn¡¯t want to ¡°limit myself to anything¡±, she explained.

¡°I would not have had 바카라사이트se options without 바카라사이트 scholarship,¡± she said. ¡°I knew I could never move forward to do something in this country without having 바카라사이트 education. That was a very important choice in my life.¡±

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com