Salim Suliman is a Palestine refugee who grew up in Lebanon and a member of UNRWA Alumni of North America. He is a contributing guest writer to the Voices of UNRWA blog, where he shares his journey from an UNRWA school in Lebanon to attending college in Virginia.

My name is Salim and I am a Palestine refugee from Lebanon. Education has been a vital part of my life thus far and more than that, an opportunity that each and every person deserves. 

My experience with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) started with education and my mother’s initial desire for me to attend private schools in Lebanon. Wanting the best for her son, she worried a public school, more specifically an UNRWA school, would never be able to provide the same level of education and quality that a private school would. 

Despite these beliefs, attending private school stopped being an option as our family’s economic situation worsened and my parents couldn’t afford to pay the tuition. Consequently, I started my high school education at the UNRWA Galilee School in central Lebanon. The school is situated next to a cluster of refugee camps and my mother was concerned about my ability to adapt to this new environment, completely different from my experience in private schools. 

My mother and I were both surprised about how quickly I felt a sense of belonging and comfort — something I did not have in my old school. I had never felt so welcomed and happy. From the students to the teachers, everyone at my UNRWA school was incredibly friendly, and it was clear that we were a community that came from similar backgrounds. You see, my family lives in Lebanon but we are Palestine refugees, a trait that all UNRWA students share. Our shared vision and goals of pursuing higher education in order to overcome the struggles we faced as Palestinians in Lebanon brought us together in a meaningful way.

My dream of coming to the United States would not have been as easily accomplished without the help of UNRWA. The school’s teachers and staff, all UNRWA employees and Palestine refugees themselves, believe in every single student, knowing that we could achieve great things and seeing the bright future in our eyes. UNRWA provided me with free SAT courses and paid for my exams, ensuring that I had the opportunity to take the test and prove myself.

Ultimately, I knew attending an UNRWA school was the right choice for me. It was a decision that changed my life for the better. Because of UNRWA, I was also exposed to the work of AMIDEAST, an American nonprofit working in international education, training, and development in the Middle East. Ultimately, through the help of AMIDEAST, I received a full scholarship to study at Bridgewater College in Virginia. 

A number of students at my school in Lebanon were apprehensive about leaving and applying to colleges in the United States, as most of them felt pressure from their families to stay in the country. Knowing that opportunities that came from seeking out something new and potentially scary could lead to something great, I felt I had to do my part in sharing my experience, from working with AMIDEAST to studying in the States. I encouraged some of my fellow students to consider studying abroad and successfully convinced one other Palestinian student from my school who is now enrolled at the University of Richmond as a freshman this year. 

I’ve learned that the first step is always the hardest, but there is always a first step for everything.

My advice? Don’t be afraid of what the future holds because it could turn out to be what is best for you. I was nervous about attending UNRWA schools and yet, it has been the biggest and best step in my life so far.