In a place where the sky feels low and opportunities seem scarce, I learned that innovation doesn’t begin with tools it begins with belief.

In Gaza, where electricity fades often, but dreams persist. limitations are a daily reality, yet I was always drawn to the limitless world of technology. I always believed that it isn't reserved for those with access it’s a powerful tool for those with vision.
That lit the path that eventually led me to study Computer Systems Engineering.

Since I was young, I was fascinated by how technology solves real-life problems. How does technology control the simplest and even the most accurate things, for example, since I was young, we suffer from water shortages, power outage problems and inconsistent energy supplies, unlike developed countries. Therefore, I have always sought to serve my community to become advanced.

Computer Systems Engineering is not just a major for me. It is a mission to help build smarter, more efficient solutions for the very problems my community faces daily.
It blends the power of hardware with the logic of software, and that intersection is where I believe change begins.

Pursuing this dream has not been easy. With limited resources at home and frequent power cuts, studying for exams or attending online classes sometimes felt like climbing a mountain with no peak in sight.
But the biggest challenge wasn't the physical obstacles it was staying motivated in an environment that too often whispers, "You won't make it." Yet every time I powered through a difficult assignment or helped a classmate understand a concept, l reminded myself that I was building something bigger than myself.

Today, I stand at a crucial point in my journey. I am determined to complete my education and contribute meaningfully to my society, but financial hardship continues to threaten that goal. Your support won't just help me pay tuition; it will free me to focus, innovate, and grow without constantly worrying about the cost of learning.
The scholarship will enable me to get better conditions to improve my study, get better educational resources and form social connections that help me in my career, and most importantly, a break from thinking about carrying the cost of studying on my father, which is a rare luxury for a request like me.

During the past two years, she has participated in local institutions affiliated with organizations. At the GSG of the Mercy Corps Foundation in Canada, I collaborated with a few colleagues to design a website to resell university books to benefit from them at a low cost and using several programs, the project interfaces were designed and programmed in full. This is what made me passionate and interested in the world of programming, and I always want to develop myself and add programming languages that I seek to learn and taught me that success isn't about having the best tools, it's about using what I have to its full potential. But imagine what I could achieve with the right support.

In conclusion, my dream is not only to graduate as a Computer Systems Engineer, but to become someone who creates opportunities for others, just as donors like you are creating an opportunity for me. With your help, I will not just be another student completing a degree I will be a future builder, a problem solver, and, hopefully, an inspiration to others walking the same difficult path.

Thank you for believing in students like me. Your generosity doesn't just fund education it fuels transformation.

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Aya Abdulrahman Kamel Shahwan | Gaza, Palestine

Major: Software Engineering