The Hope Fund

03/20/2023

English below

يسعدنا أن نشاهد تغطية برنامج "صباح العربية" لرحلة غادة طفش وهناء إبراهيم الملهمة وهما من بين أكثر من 200 طالب فلسطيني قد حققوا أحلامهم في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية من خلال برنامجنا "صندوق الأمل" Hope Fund متغلبين على كلّ الصعاب والعراقيل.

تدرس غادة الدكتوراه في الدفاع الحيوي والأمراض المعدية في جامعة جورج واشنطن، فيما تعمل هناء كمنسقة أبحاث سريرية في معهد زراعة الأعضاء بجامعة جورج واشنطن، وتأمل في مواصلة دراسة الدكتوراه في علم النفس السريري لدعم التوعية بالصحة العقلية في غزة.

نحن فخورون بإنجازات طلّاب وطالبات منحة "صندوق الأمل". يلهمنا إصرارهم وكلنا إيمان بمواهبهم ومساهماتهم المستقبلية في تحسين مجتمعاتهم والعالم.

Celebrating the success of Palestinian students! We are thrilled to see the inspiring journeys of Ghada Tafesh and Hanaa Ibrahim shared by Sabah Al-Arabiya.

They are shining examples of the 200+ students who have achieved their dreams in the US through our Hope Fund program.

Ghada is pursuing a Ph.D. in biodefense and infectious diseases at The George Washington University, while Hanaa is a clinical research coordinator at the GW Transplant Institute, and hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical psychology to support mental health awareness in Gaza.

We are proud to support and empower these talented individuals and have unshakable faith in Palestinian talents and their future contributions to their societies and the world.

بصمة علمية لأكثر من 200 طالب فلسطيني في #جامعات #أميركا الحلقة الكاملة على شاهد 👇https://bit.ly/3KjVxDY----------------------------------...

03/06/2023

programs build creativity and problem-solving skills important in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, widely known today by the acronym STEM. Check out our new STEM programs: -Gaza and the Program, offered in Ramallah, Jerusalem, Nablus, and Hebron. Follow the link to learn more: http://ow.ly/Pu1p50NaeXq

12/05/2022

Join us in welcoming our 14 new Hope Fund scholars from and the , who began their undergraduate journeys earlier this fall! They have accomplished amazing feats to earn their scholarships from colleges and universities across the United States. We are pleased to introduce these outstanding young men and women in our latest newsletter: http://ow.ly/IlZg50LVgiY

08/01/2022

How has cultural exchange impacted your life?

06/28/2022

Congratulations to Hanna Ibrahim, who graduated from Kenyon College last December! Hanna, who is from Gaza City, earned her degree in psychology with a minor in Spanish. She was active on campus, receiving the MLK Jr. Humanitarian award for promoting social justice on campus, and was the first undergraduate student to publish a book review in the Kenyon Review. Hanna is thankful to the , which she considers an opportunity of a lifetime, and is appreciative of the openness, strength, and resilience it fostered in her, a young Palestinian woman. She further reflects on her experience, noting that it “has allowed me to dream big—even bigger than I thought I could.”

Currently, Hanna is a clinical research coordinator at the GW Transplant Institute in the Surgery Department. In the near future, she hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in, and earn a license for, clinical psychology to help women in Gaza by providing a safe space to support mental health conversations and awareness.

Congratulations Hanaa on all of your accomplishments, and we look forward to seeing you continue to pursue your dreams!

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Have you graduated recently and not yet completed the survey? Make sure to do so, and send a graduation photo to [email protected]! We want to showcase extraordinary students like yourself so that we can continue to support Hope Fund students in the future ❤️.

06/09/2022

Congratulations to scholar Khaled Shehada on graduating from MIT with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering! He is one of 15 Hope Fund scholars who graduated this academic year from universities across the United States.

Khaled will return to MIT in the fall to join the Master of Engineering program, where he plans to investigate the bridges between natural and artificial intelligence and develop cutting-edge AI models. He is excited to leverage the technical and personal skillsets he gained at MIT to make a positive impact on his community in Gaza and Palestine. He intends to share his knowledge in computer science with students and young professionals and establish a portal that facilitates collaborations between U.S.-based tech corporations and Palestinian tech professionals and entrepreneurs.

“AMIDEAST has been an important part of my life from an early age. Through programs such as the Access Microscholarship, Abraham Lincoln, and the Hope Fund, AMIDEAST enabled me to learn about the U.S. culture and values, prepare for admission exams and essays, and apply for U.S. colleges,” he says. “I am grateful to AMIDEAST and the Hope Fund for facilitating the opportunity to study in the United States and for continuing to support students from low-income backgrounds.”

Congratulations, Khaled, we look forward to hearing about your future endeavors!

06/04/2022

We at are proud to celebrate the graduation of scholar Lora Assi! Lora earned her B.A. in neuroscience with a double minor in chemistry and healthcare management from the University of Pennsylvania. She is one of 15 Hope Fund scholars who graduate this academic year from universities across the United States.

Lora plans to work in neuroscience research for a year before heading back home. She is passionate about studying the intersections between neuroscience, psychology, and the human condition and hopes to support research projects that discover these links through innovation and collaboration.

Lora, we look forward to hearing about your—and all Hope Fund scholars’—future endeavors!

04/11/2022

A special congratulations to scholar Salma Khalaf, who has been selected for the prestigious Watson Fellowship! Salma, who grew up as a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon, graduated from Earlham College this past semester with a degree in international relations. As a Watson Fellow, she will receive a $36,000 stipend to carry out independent research of her choice. Salma has designed a research project entitled “What is the Future of Palestinians and Palestine?”, which will be carried out in Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, Algeria, the United Kingdom, and Chile.

With the support of the Hope Fund and programs at Amideast/Lebanon, Salma gained admission with a full scholarship from Earlham College. In addition to the Watson Fellowship, she was selected for the Orr Fellowship and was a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship. is always excited to share news of the many feats that our alumni have accomplished. And, Salma, we look forward to hearing about what your research shows us about this important issue!

02/02/2022

The first video in the ALAM Entrepreneurs event series features Hope Fund alumna Neda DeLuca, from the West Bank, Palestine! Watch as Neda, the founder of , shares her "Tips for Becoming an Entrepreneur" and check out her Etsy store here: http://ow.ly/wPSU50HKAkL

Neda DeLuca grew up in the Al-Amari Refugee Camp near Ramallah, Palestine. In 2011, she went to Mount Holyoke College with a heart and mind full of hopes and dreams, including to one day start a business that empowers and supports Palestinian women. In 2020, she did just that by creating PalestinianMadeUS, which partners with refugee artisans in Palestine to bring fashionable embroidered and metal-crafted accessories for resale in the U.S. Their business model is focused on building resilient refugee communities by enhancing the quality and quantity of income-generation opportunities. Neda is an alumna of several programs Amideast administered, including Camp Discovery, U.S. Department of State-funded English Access Microscholarship program, the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program, Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Abraham Lincoln Incentive Grants, and the Hope Fund.

01/04/2022

Learn about Hope Fund scholar Francis Habash's experience so far studying at Brigham Young University, where he is majoring in computer science and minoring in business, in this new video from EducationUSA West Bank! ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️