Impact Stories

Third-year computer science student Najib* grew up in Tripoli, Lebanon, the youngest of three children. His two older sisters are also excelling academically – one is completing her master’s degree in international business, the other is in her final year of medical school.

Najib worked hard to get to AUB and knew that he would also have to work hard if he was accepted to the demanding computer science program. “It is worth it,” he says. “It is an investment in my future.” Unfortunately, hard work isn’t enough for Najib – and for thousands of other students – these days because of the collapse of the Lebanese economy. “I would not be able to attend AUB without financial support,” he says. Najib is receiving support from three donor-funded scholarships: the Father Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Scholarship through the Embassy of the State of Qatar, the Ramzi Mohamad Safadi Endowed Scholarship, and the Mamdouha El-Sayed Bobst Endowed Scholarship.

“Donor-funded scholarships make all the difference to students like Najib,” explains Senior Vice President for Advancement and Business Development Imad B. Baalbaki. “Some donors cannot imagine that just a couple thousand dollars a year can make an impact, but it can – truly it can.”

Even with financial support, there are still challenges. Najib points to the mental toll of seeing so many people enduring so much pain with little to no hope. “It is simply heartbreaking,” he says. Najib is staying positive though and looking ahead to life after graduation. He is considering several options at the moment – perhaps a job in his field, a master’s degree, or “maybe even both at the same time!”

*We are not using Najib’s real name to protect his privacy.