Impact Stories

“Without ULYP,” explains Samar Fayez Mohamed (BSN ’21), “I would not have been able to afford to study at AUB.” Samar goes on to explain that being at AUB – a place that she says is full of opportunities to improve and learn new things – “helped me to grow personally and to meet new people from different cultures and backgrounds.”

Samar took full advantage of those opportunities, graduating in 2021 with a BS in nursing. She is now living and working as a mental health registered nurse with the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. She loves living in the UK where, she says, “I have civil rights that allow me to work legally. I’m being treated equally and fairly without any discrimination or racism because I am a Palestinian, a refugee, or a Muslim.” Samar has a keen appreciation for what it means to be able to legally work in a country because her parents, who were both trained doctors, are not able to practice medicine in Lebanon because they are Palestinian refugees. Samar also appreciates the continued support that ULYP provides. “They stay in touch with their alumni and regularly notify us of academic and job opportunities,” she says. “I’m very thankful for them. They are always available to provide advice.”

Rola Hammoud (BSN ’16) is also grateful for the extra care and attention she receives from ULYP. She and her family moved to Lebanon from Saudi Arabia when she was 16. Rola first heard of ULYP from some of her classmates who were attending a course that ULYP organized to help students prepare for the SAT exam.

Rola is very grateful for her AUB education – and for the support that she received from ULYP that made it possible. “They make everything easier by helping you financially and also providing emotional support,” she says. “They also stay in touch with you. Even though I graduated from AUB in 2016, they still send me information about jobs and regular updates. In fact, they are the ones who introduced me to Talent Beyond Borders when I was looking for nursing jobs in the UK. Rola is currently working as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit of a private hospital and hopes to do a master’s degree someday.

“ULYP have been great partners to AUB,” commented VP for Advancement and Business Development Imad B. Baalbaki, “providing invaluable support for our students. They always go the extra mile to make sure that students have what they need to succeed.” Unite Lebanon Youth Project Founder Melek El Nimer is equally enthusiastic about the partnership. “Close to 300 ULYP students have graduated from AUB over the years,” she says. This would not have been possible without the support we received from AUB.”