Introducing Amala High School Diploma Student: Majd

In June of 2020, we welcomed our very first Amala High School Diploma students in Amman, Jordan. In an interview with Majd, one of our many inspiring students in this group, he kindly shared his journey, ambitions and reflections on studying with Amala. 

Majd has always loved to learn. Back home in Syria, he ranked top of his class in ninth grade, enabling him to skip tenth grade altogether. However, as he fled from Syria at age 16, his formal education came to a halt. By the time he arrived in Jordan, some time had elapsed since he last enrolled in school, and having to work to support himself prevented him from attending school full time. 

For years, Majd worked, self-studied, and took part-time short courses while he searched for flexible options for high school. During this time, he came across a group of native Arabic speakers conversing in English and became motivated to learn English. Despite his unstable internet connection, he learned basic English through online materials. Then his friend recommended that he watch the TV show Friends with English subtitles. While he understood very little of the dialogue, Majd kept watching. By the time he started the eighth season, he was amazed at how much he was comprehending. Upon finishing the series, he went back to the first season and watched it again; Majd loved how he picked up on new things on each repetition. 

As a result of such patience and drive, at 17 years old, only nine months after he started learning English, he received a fully-funded scholarship to take classes with the British Council. But Majd knew that simply learning English was not enough; he needed a qualification or exam result proving his competence to access more employment and educational opportunities. Without the finances to pay for the IELTS (English language testing), he persuaded the staff to give him a chance to take the test. Indeed, with his scores in hand, he immediately secured a higher paying job. Even now, his ability to communicate in English and Arabic is crucial in his role as a content writer and will help him pursue future pathways upon completing the Amala High School Diploma (AHSD).

In addition to learning English online, he also avidly reads texts on philosophy and sociology. He also took online courses on subjects such as digital marketing and website development on Wix. Majd first became part of the Amala community as a student on the Amala Peacebuilding course in Amman in 2018.

Growing up, Majd often wished for “peaceful coexistence” among those with different beliefs. But unsure of how he could promote peace, he was intrigued by the Amala Peacebuilding course and applied to take part in it. Majd found the activities that prompted discussion among the students most valuable. “To study with a diverse group of people is amazing because people from different backgrounds have different ideas of solutions.” To hear more from the quieter students in the class, Majd would specifically direct questions to them. At the end of the course, one of these students even thanked Majd, crediting him for her growth in confidence and public speaking skills. 

“I loved and enjoyed the course so much so I kept following Amala on social media. When I saw the post about the diploma programme in Jordan, I applied directly.” Majd was then offered a place as part of the pioneer cohort of the AHSD  in Jordan. “I always knew it was impossible to get a scholarship or acceptance from a university without a high school diploma. But I needed a flexible option because I am working. Amala gives amazing tasks to finish throughout the week so you feel like you are connected without feeling a lot of pressure.” As a result of his positive experiences with the AHSD so far, Majd hopes to become a facilitator for future cohorts. 

Prior to applying for the AHSD, Majd had applied for several higher education scholarships. Often, his application got him through to an interview stage, where he also received positive responses, but without a high school diploma, he was always turned down. “When I tell them I haven’t finished high school, they laugh and say I need a high school diploma. But even after that, some of them kept complimenting me.” 

After sharing these interview experiences with his friends, they began asking Majd for help with their own applications. He realised that many were applying for the same heavily-advertised scholarships. With his experience scouring the internet for learning resources, Majd had the research skills to help look for less competitive scholarship opportunities suitable for each student. As word spread of his work, he recognised an opportunity to supplement his income by charging a small fee. To date, he has supported 32 students, 9 of which have been awarded scholarships outside of Jordan. 

With hopes of supporting more students (not only refugees), Majd is currently working to develop Scholar Scope, an online platform for connecting students with universities. He likens his vision to “Linkedln for students and universities”. This idea also stemmed from his work as a social media officer in the MENA region for the University of East Anglia, from which he learned that universities are constantly looking to learn more about their potential students. 

Majd has also begun working with Canadian startup Apply Board, a platform that “simplifies the study abroad search, application, and acceptance process by connecting international students, recruitment partners, and academic institutions on one platform.” To date, Apply Board has supported over 120,000 students and is partnered with over 1200 universities across Canada, US, UK, and Australia.

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Majd has also helped local businesses in Jordan digitise their businesses. Using the website builder, Wix, he creates websites that allow businesses to sell their goods and services online. As if Majd doesn't have enough on his plate, he is even working on writing a book. He intends to write about his journey, starting from his life in Syria, through the lens of Maslow's hierarchy of needs; Majd uses Maslow’s psychological theory to evaluate his fulfilment over time. By sharing his experiences and reflections, he also hopes to challenge some of the negative beliefs surrounding refugees by showing that “it is not a choice [to be a refugee]”. 

It was a pleasure to speak with Majd and hear about the incredible work he is doing outside the AHSD. Through the AHSD’s personal interest project and pathways advising, Amala is committed to supporting Majd with his entrepreneurial ventures as well as pursuing further education opportunities.