Meet Our Students

Ahmed Elsayed AbdelQader is an accomplished STEM enthusiast, an imaginative creative writer, and a caring community leader. He has volunteered as a computer science instructor for African refugees; led a TEDxyouth@EBIS stage to encourage youth to embrace computer science; established a creative writing blog that now has 3000+ followers from 70+ countries; and received the Runner-Up Prize in the Cambridge Immerse Creative Writing Competition. Not least, his team placed first in NASA’s SpaceAppsCairo in October 2018, second in the Cairo Intel Science and Engineering Fair and competed in the international fair in Phoenix, Arizona. Ahmed is excited to pursue his interests in both computer science and creative writing at Whitman College.

Alaa Adel Abdelhamid is driven by his passion for the sciences. During his senior year at the STEM High School for Boys, he created a YouTube channel about science, which he manages and writes scripts for, and cofounded the physics group at his school. He is also an avid blogger about science and participated in multiple science fairs and competitions, including the Intel ISEF Science Fair and Ibn al-Haytham National Science Fair. He also travelled to Germany on the “Deutschland Plus" exchange program. While living in Giza, Alaa joined the EducationUSA Competitive College Club at Amideast/Cairo and maintained an excellent academic performance including a 4.0 GPA, a perfect score on the Physics SAT Subject Test, and a 107 on the TOEFL test. Alaa’s outstanding academics and extracurriculars earned him an International Honors Scholarship from Sewanee: The University of the South, which will help support his degree program in physics and philosophy. 

Yahia Ali has high aspirations and a passion for biochemistry. Throughout his high school studies, he excelled in the academically rigorous Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) program, achieving the highest scores in his advanced level chemistry course on a national level. He also earned top scores on the chemistry, physics, and biology SAT subject tests, scoring 800, 800, and 790, respectively. Alongside his academic studies, Ali was active in the EducationUSA Competitive College Club at Amideast/Alexandria, generously supporting his peers in their examinations and college applications, volunteering in college fairs, and serving as CCC president in 2018. Yahia chose to take a gap year ahead of college in order to indulge in his interests, among them playing the violin and reading. He is excited to attend the University of Rochester, where he plans to study biochemistry. 

Saif Elkhamry is driven by a deep interest in STEM subjects. He is also a creative individual who seeks to translate his other passion—the media and digital arts—into developing ways to link art, human perception, and brain processing. Born and raised in Giza city, he excelled in his studies at the competitive STEM High School for Boys. In addition, he managed to find time to head the media committees of eight clubs and organizations, including TEDx, started his own media agency, and recently won the Youngest Designer Prize for a printing company. Saif is looking forward to his studies at Drexel University, where he plans to major in graphic design and continue to discover new ways to link the arts and science. “I don’t just love sciences and arts I also love how they can be linked together,” he asserts, adding that his studies at the STEM 6th of October high school taught him that “arts has a bigger influence to humanity than we think.”

Usually Shadi Ahmad is not satisfied with the material presented at school, so when he goes back home, he researches for more information about the things that interest him, such as physics, mathematics, and genetics. He always feels compelled to learn new things, while improving other hobbies and interests. As a leader and founder of the STEM Club at his school, Shadi has never run out of new things to learn. A freshman at Dartmouth College, he hopes to major in biophysics because these two subjects have been his passions throughout his school years. 

Jade Akhras is the product of an American upbringing within Lebanese culture. She was born in New Jersey but currently lives in Beit El Kiko. Her father is a part-time professor, and her mother a full-time professor, at NDU. Her parents help take care of her grandmother and are also financially supporting her older sister, who started her master’s degree in spring 2018. Forever passionate about medicine, Jade is excited to major in biology at the University of Pennsylvania and hopes to grow as a person, as well as one day be an up-and-coming entrepreneur in the field of medicine.

Jana Alghoul plans to pursue a career in aerospace engineering. The universe, space, and cosmos have always interested her, eventually becoming a passion that is driving her dream to become an aerospace engineer. Jana comes from a family that struggles financially, but she has always felt pride knowing how hard her parents work for her and her brother. If there is one thing they have taught her, it is to never give up and always keep working towards your goals because everything can be achieved once you set yourself to it — an attitude that will serve her well as she pursues her studies in mechanical engineering at Jacksonville University.

In sixth grade, Haya Ghandour switched to the American Community School in Beirut after receiving a full scholarship. She comes from a family of six; her mom is a part-time history teacher at a public school, and her dad runs a family-owned business. Haya loves community service, whether for a school in Burj Al-Barajneh or just helping with office work at an NGO. Haya takes pride in wearing the hijab, being female, being Lebanese, and having Palestinian origins. Now a freshman at Columbia University, she wants to pursue both mechanical engineering, because she wishes to be able to create things that can improve people's lives in whatever way possible, and political science, because she wishes to continue having discussions in the social sciences field and further develop her way of thinking through issues.

Tatiana Houhou loves biology, especially cellular biology and genetics. She is planning to become a doctor (a neurosurgeon) or a genetic engineer. Tatiana is proud that she won the Brevet Award, recognizing her top ranking on the Brevet official exams in the Beirut district. She has participated in many activities, including visiting the elderly and distributing clothes for the underprivileged. She joined the Lebanese Red Cross as well. Basketball is a crucial part of her life; for the past four years, she has been on the school’s junior and senior varsity teams and was an assistant coach. She is majoring in biology at NYU Abu Dhabi.

Danielle Marouni has lived in Tripoli her entire life, where she attended Tripoli Evangelical School. Her father is retired from the army and has opened a car accessory shop, while her mother is a biology teacher.  For as long as Danielle can remember, she has been interested in biology, chemistry, physics, and math, to the extent that the first toy she remembers asking for was a microscope. Danielle is attending the University of Rochester, where she has decided to major in either biomedical engineering or general biology since both majors would allow her to pursue similar paths in graduate school. After completing her education, she hopes to engage in research, focusing on innovative ways to improve health care with the help of technology, something that has been her goal ever since she was young.

Alaa Naarch comes from a family of five; his father works as a sales supervisor of Redbull at FDC in Choueifat and his mom is a housewife. As a senior in the life science department at Baakleen Official Secondary School, he participated in student government, tutoring English, and conducting presentations about the year he spent in the United States on the YES program. His passion is video games: When he plays a game, he memorizes the conversations that the characters had and often repeats the game at least three times. He also researches how the game was made and how the idea started. Alaa is a freshman at Wesleyan University, where he is majoring in molecular biology.

Omar Saleh comes from Bchamoun, where he graduated from Hussein Massoud School, a public school. His family has a small housewares and gift shop, although Omar’s father passed away in early 2017, leaving him, his three siblings, and mother.  While passionate about dance,  theater, and singing, he has also participated in a range of activities including Model UN, a robotics competition, Science Olympiad, choir, and volunteer work. He also spent a year of high school in the United States on the YES program and, with the help of the YES program, worked on an Instagram page to help promote community service organizations in Lebanon. As an incoming freshman at Swarthmore, Omar is thinking about double majoring in both biochemistry and dance.

Born in Beirut, Ali Yaacoub comes from a family of six; his father is a security officer and his mother a housewife. Ali studied at Riad El Solh public high school. Because of his family’s limited finances, he also had to get a part time job, at least to cover his own expenses and be a bit more independent, which benefited him in many ways. Ali loves volunteering and community service. He is a good soccer player and a huge fan, as he always tries his best not to skip any international games. Since Ali enjoys math and physics, he is interested in technology and plans to study computer and electrical engineering at the University of Toledo.

Mahdy Yassine graduated from the American Community School in Beirut, which he attended on a full scholarship due to his family's limited financial situation. His mother is a teacher at the Lycée de la Finesse in Beirut, but whenever possible, he returned to Marjayoun to spend time at his father’s garage to help him. Mahdy has participated in many extracurricular activities and sports including the track and cross-country varsity teams. He also served as a volunteer in the Lebanese Red Cross Emergency Medical Services. Mahdy is attending Harvard University, planning to major in biochemistry in preparation to become a renewable energy engineer. 

Ahmed Farah grew up in the coastal city of Gabes and completed the International Baccalaureate program at the American Cooperative School of Tunis. An avid reader and passionate learner since he was young, he created a “mini chemistry lab” in his father’s garage and later became an instructor at his school's STEM club and a Science Expo curator, as he realized the importance of sharing his fascination with the physical world with his peers. He also became involved in debate in Tunisia and abroad and spent a year of high school in Georgia on the YES program. At Princeton University, he plans to focus his studies on engineering, technology, and entrepreneurship. Looking to the future, he adds, “From here, I hope to put myself on an academic and professional path that would allow me to make the world a better place.”

Ahmed (Fedi) Lassoued grew up in Gabes and completed two years in the International Baccalaureate program at the American Cooperative School of Tunis.  He also took part in exchange programs, notably spending a year in the United States on the YES program – experiences that, he says, “opened my eyes to the possibilities outside of one’s comfort zone and how important it is to do hands-on work in the field.”  Not surprisingly, he is excited to begin his studies at Yale-National University of Singapore (NUS), where he is already active in the Centre For International & Professional Experience (CIPE) as a member of the student advisory committee. Fedi — the name he goes by — has many interests, including music, mixed martial arts, and “improv” as a form of theater, and he is open to exploring activities he has never tried before, such as ballroom dance. He envisions majoring in mathematical, computational, and statistical sciences.

Syrine Matoussi grew up in Ariana, where she graduated from the Pioneer School. The daughter of professors of finance and economy, she spent a year of high school in Massachusetts on the YES program and joined the EducationUSA Competitive College Club to improve her chances of returning to the United States for college. Her hobbies include gymnastics, playing the violin, and public speaking. A passion for debate, in fact, took her to debate competitions in the United States. She also served as the under secretary general for the international court of justice in a major Model UN event in Tunisia. Syrine is excited to be at Smith College, where she intends to study computer science, engineering, or economics.

Despite the challenges of living through Yemen’s ongoing civil war, Hana Ba-Sabaa has excelled academically and has proven to be a resilient and strong young woman. She was the top student in her class at the Noori English School in Aden, consistently ranked among the top 10 students on exams at the state, regional, and national levels, and excelled in debate and public-speaking competitions. Despite experiencing her own hardships related to the war, her compassionate and resourceful nature compelled her to help others through fundraisers, volunteering, and tutoring.  Moreover, having grown up in a multicultural community and being proficient in three languages — Arabic, English, and French — Hana has worked to foster crosscultural relationships within her community, organizing events in all three languages at the Cultural French Center of Aden.  Hana is excited to attend Dartmouth as a King Scholar, using her four-year fully-funded scholarship to study engineering sciences.

Learning to overcome adversity at a young age, Nada Ahmed has shown the ability to take on life’s challenges and succeed. Nada’s mother passed away when she was just eight years old, leaving her father to raise her and her younger siblings. Her commitment to school is evident in her academic achievements — finishing high school with a 4.0 GPA — as well as her active involvement in the Competitive College Club (CCC), where she helped organize college fairs and other volunteer activities. She is also an accomplished athlete, excelling in gymnastics, track and field, and martial arts. She placed in the top five in national competitions for both gymnastics and track and field, and ranked 12th in an international fitness course in Poland in 2016. Nada began her studies at Mississippi College in fall 2017.

Shahinda Ahmed is pursuing a degree in architecture at the University of Cincinnati. Through her many volunteer and service activities, Shahinda has demonstrated a strong commitment to giving back and improving her local community. During high school, she was active in the EducationUSA Competitive College Club (CCC) at Amideast, as well as her school’s Alpha Leo Charity Club and Art and Design Committee. She also volunteered at Alex Marathon, an NGO that organizes weekly runs and races, writing and editing content for its monthly magazine and helping to organize events, including its annual race for awareness of domestic violence against women. In addition, as a volunteer at an arts center in summer 2016, she taught kids the basics of drawing 3D models.

Nour El-Khalawy is a freshman at the Minerva Schools at KGI, part of the Claremont (California) Consortium. Growing up in Cairo, she earned a scholarship to attend the Maadi STEM School for Girls and was active in the Competitive College Club (CCC). Passionate about computer science, Nour was honored to be invited to join the New York Academy of Science’s Junior Academy and presented her work before an audience that included Nobel Laureates during the academy’s bicentennial celebration. She was also a finalist in Wearables for Good Challenge, a global competition to create innovative and affordable technologies that address issues facing children, and participated in the Microsoft DigiGirlz program, which promotes careers in technology.

Maria Shehata began her undergraduate studies at the New College of Florida in fall 2017 after graduating from high school in Cairo with a 4.0 GPA. Maria is just as dedicated and successful outside the classroom. In 2016, she placed fourth internationally in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).  She also won a junior membership to the New York Academy of Sciences through the Global STEM Alliance. She loves track and field, which she has been participating in since grade school, and won two bronze medals in the Egyptian National Track and Field Competition. Further demonstrating her well-rounded abilities, Maria also won the Ideal Girl Scouting Competition in Egypt, enjoys playing piano, and volunteered for Smile Makers, a travel and tourism agency.

Loay Alarab lived through conditions that would have tempted many students to drop out of school. When his father lost his job in 2016, Loay was concerned that a college education would be beyond his reach. After completing a year of high school in Toledo, Ohio—thanks to a scholarship through the YES program—he was determined to continue his pursuit for higher education. With hard work and the help of Amideast advisers, Loay earned a scholarship from the University of Toledo, where he will double major in political science and economics. Loay hopes to attend law school before returning to Lebanon where, he says, “I want to start an NGO that offers legal services to those who cannot afford them and supports students at risk of dropping out of school.”

Tala Azzam grew up encouraged by her mother, a freelance translator, and her father, a journalist, to strive for the best possible education, but finances were a challenge. “If it hadn’t been for Amideast, I wouldn’t have even been able to afford to apply for college in the United States,” she says. By working with Amideast’s educational advisers, she applied for and earned a scholarship from the University of Chicago, where she will be able to pursue her diverse interests. She is considering a major in biochemistry and looking forward to participating in research and internships throughout her college career. After she graduates, she would like to pursue a master’s degree in forensic sciences, an area that will enable her to fulfill her passion for interdisciplinary fields that join different branches of knowledge.

Marc Haddad is passionate about engineering and music, and beginning this year at the University of Rochester (UoR), he is thrilled to be pursuing both. After more than a year of hard work in the Competitive College Club (CCC), he was offered one of UoR’s most prestigious scholarships, the Dean’s Scholarship, to study mechanical engineering as well as music at UoR’s prestigious Eastman School of Music. Marc, who graduated from Saint Joseph School in Cornet Chehwan, is excited about expanding his knowledge of the world of automation, while keeping his ardent love for music alive throughout his academic career. “Amideast as a whole and the CCC have been a great support system for all of us,” says Marc. “If it weren’t for them, we’d honestly still be in Lebanon.”

Born in southern Lebanon and raised in Beirut, Soha Kawtharani has overcome many hardships to pursue her dreams. Soha found support at Amideast, spending a year of high school in the United States through the YES program and then joining the Competitive College Club (CCC) to further her chances of returning to the United States to continue her studies. After applying to several colleges, she was thrilled to earn admission to her top choice, Hamilton College, with a full scholarship. Grateful, she says, “My Amideast experience, as clichéd as it sounds, has been absolutely life-changing. [I can] finally do what I love to do […]. I’m at a truly exciting place right now.”

Originally from Jezzine in southern Lebanon, Joseph Merhi completed secondary school at the College Notre Dame de Jamhour, where he was an excellent student and basketball player whose team won several tournaments. Joseph knew from day one that he wanted to study at Cornell University and worked hard to achieve his goal. Now a freshman at Cornell, he is majoring in mechanical engineering in order to prepare himself to pursue a career in automobile, naval, or aerospace manufacturing, which reflects his childhood passion for engines, cars, and planes. It is something he has always dreamt about and studying abroad will help Joseph get one step closer to his goal.

Growing up in Saida, Mohamad Safadieh overcame many challenges as the eldest of three children living alone with their mother while their father worked abroad. A year in Arizona on the YES program awakened his interest in studying in the United States, a goal that he was able to realize after three years in the Competitive College Club (CCC) and winning a scholarship from Vassar College. As he contemplated his path of study during that period, he considered astrophysics, physics, philosophy, computer science, and economics and decided on a double major in computer science and economics with a minor in philosophy. “My journey has been very long and very tiring,” he says, adding that his advice to younger students who may wish to study in the United States is “work hard.”

Jana Sebaali plans to major in electrical engineering at Princeton University. Jana’s father is a retired soldier, and her two older sisters, who are also engineers, encouraged her curiosity in science. An outstanding student at the Saint Joseph School in Cornet Chehwan, she travelled to the United States in 2016 to participate in "TechGirls," a summer program designed to nurture a passion for leadership and sharpen technology skills of teenage girls. This experience inspired her to want to help bridge the divide between refugees and Lebanon’s population with a club for children. She dreams of pursuing a master's degree in a more specialized field and ultimately earning a Ph.D. so that she can teach and share her interest in engineering with college students and experts. 

As the only child of a computer programmer and a teacher, Lori Younissess recalls that she was always encouraged to pursue the highest education possible. Participating in a Model UN Conference in New York helped her learn more about gender-based violence across the globe and motivated her to develop the knowledge and legal skills needed to fight for those who don’t have a voice. She set her sights on studying in the United States with the ultimate goal of an advanced degree in international human rights law. Through the Competitive College Club (CCC), Lori learned about American University’s Emerging Global Leaders Scholarship, which the school awards to one international student each year. Impressively, Lori was selected for the award from a pool of 1,250 candidates and she has decided to double major in international relations and political science with a minor in justice and law.

Born in Libya, Abdulrahman Ayad moved to England with his parents and two sisters when he was four. He initially struggled to make friends and learn a new language and new customs, but he found success in athletics—basketball and taekwondo—and was a dedicated and outstanding student. Though he learned to adapt and thrive in his life in England, his family decided to move back home to Tripoli—where Abdulrahman faced a new period of readjustment. However, he soon felt back at home, and he utilized his strong English language skills to become a mentor among his fellow students. His journey now brings him to the University of Denver, where he is planning to major in computer science and will no doubt use his adaptive skills to take advantage of the many opportunities the university has to offer.

Ali Suleiman spent his boyhood in Homs, a city that was to become engulfed by Syria’s bloody civil war. By a stroke of good luck, however, his father received a job offer in Latakia, on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, a few months before the war broke out, and Ali was able to complete high school there in 2014. A hard worker who cares about his community, Ali volunteered with Al-Twahod organization, which helps disabled children and raises awareness of child protection, and taught English to children at the Jebran Institute in Latakia. Through the DKSSF, he secured admission and funding to American University in Central Asia, where he is majoring in liberal arts sciences with a concentration in international and comparative politics. Today he is optimistic that this new chapter in his life will enable him to pursue his interests and goals.

Nour Benmohamed grew up in the southern city of Gafsa, where she graduated from the Pioneer School, while also spending year of high school in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on the YES program. She cofounded Tunisia’s first-ever high school press club, LPG Weekly, and was also active in the debate club. With her math club team, she participated in the national mathematical games, making it to the finals in 2014. Nour is now a freshman at Dartmouth College and is considering a major in computer engineering. She joined the Women in Computer Science Club, wanting to learn more about the experiences of women majoring in computer science as well as Dartmouth alumni working at major tech companies, and is also a member of Ledyard, a canoe and kayaking club that organizes outings on the Connecticut River and elsewhere.

Cherine Ghazouani grew up in Tunis with her parents, sister, and grandmother and spent her junior year of high school in Rochester, New York, on the YES program. With help from the DKSSF, Cherine was able to return to the area to pursue a bachelor’s degree at the University of Rochester, where she is majoring in optical engineering with a potential double major in economics. She is currently involved in a variety of activities, including serving as the business manager for the Premier Entrepreneurship Club on campus and volunteering as much as possible to give back to the community. Beyond her academic and community service interests, she loves attending concerts and other cultural events in order to meet new people and broaden her perspectives.

In 2014, Wadhah Al-Fardy left Aden, where he grew up with five siblings, for a year of high school in Virginia on the YES program.  It was a year that turned out to be pivotal. He completed more than 100 community service hours and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and The Foundry, an organization that provides activities and workshops for adults and children with disabilities. As the year came to an end, the civil unrest in Yemen intensified and it became too dangerous for him to return home. A U.S. Department of State-funded scholarship program affiliated with the Northwest Community College Initiative made it possible for him to remain in the United States and complete his high school education and continue his studies at Edmonds Community College. Now, as a transfer student at Central Washington University, he is majoring in electronic engineering technology.

Mona Saif graduated from Abdulbari High School in Aden in Crater district, where she grew up, after spending the 2012-13 school year in Phoenix, Arizona, on the YES program. During her exchange year, Mona gave presentations about Yemeni culture, was a member of the photography club, and helped clean and paint the campus. She also performed more than 100 hours of community service, assisting with fundraising sales, thrift shop donations, and cooking at homeless shelters. Upon returning to Yemen, Mona continued her commitment to volunteerism. She joined the Aden YES Alumni Association (AYA), becoming its president after two years, and participated in the Al-Sadqah Hospital Internship Program and the Workshop for Leaders in Teaching English. Through the DKSSF, she earned a scholarship to Georgetown University-Qatar, where she plans to major in international relations.