With high school behind her, Rama Elzeer saw a future filled with possibilities. She was in her first year at Al-Azhar University, studying engineering. But it was 2023, and Rama’s beloved home in Gaza was soon to be devastated. Now rebuilding her life in Sydney, she shares how the UTS Humanitarian Scholarship has helped her to find new hope.
A culture that prizes education
“When the war came,” she says, “I had only been studying for about two weeks. I had been so excited to begin my journey as an adult, and suddenly my university was being destroyed.” The shock was devastating. She says, “I couldn’t continue. I just lost hope. As Palestinians, we prioritise education. It’s in our culture, but I couldn’t see any chance of studying. I didn’t feel I could even do university online in those circumstances. There was no electricity and very little access to the internet. It felt hopeless.”
That despair continued for six dark months, until the Elzeer family had an opportunity to resettle in Sydney. “Our Auntie is here, and she helped us apply for a visa. It was like a light at the end of a tunnel. Six months may seem like a short period, but for me it felt like a million years,” she says. “And I know we were very, very lucky. So many didn’t have that chance, so I consider myself a very lucky person.”
A challenging journey
The next challenge for Rama and her family was the journey to Australia. She says, “Getting on a plane and coming here was very hard. We needed first to go to Cairo because Gaza doesn’t have an airport. And not all people succeed in getting to Egypt. It’s honestly very complicated. The borders are closed now and no-one can go out, but at that time there was a very small number of people who could get through. The borders were closed, then opened, then closed and you never knew if they would allow you to go out or go in again. Now it’s completely closed.”
The long flight to Sydney was Rama's first experience on a plane.
Having the right visas smoothed the family’s journey to Egypt, but the long flight to Sydney was another challenge. It was the first time Rama had flown. “I couldn’t sleep, honestly,” she says.
Rama’s aunt had already told her about the universities in Sydney and shown her pictures of UTS. “I remember, when I looked at the photos, I said to myself, ‘I want to be there one day.’ It looks so technological and advanced,” she says. “But when I arrived in Australia, I thought, ‘let’s work to get there.’”
A setback leads to a transformational opportunity
At first, Rama was fixed on resuming her bachelor's degree. “That’s what I thought would be logical. I have a higher school certificate, and my grade was considered quite high. But my application wasn’t successful. I was so disappointed.”
While she was coming to terms with that setback, a call from UTS College lifted her spirits. “I was offered an interview with them. So, my dream was coming true after all, in another way. I just wanted to get to that interview and do whatever it takes to give them a good impression of me.”
The interview must have been a success because Rama is now completing a Diploma of Engineering with the College. She’s satisfied with the way things worked out. “You know, at first I was sad because I couldn’t start my bachelor’s degree at UTS,” she says, “but now I feel this really is better for me. The College is a friendly place, and it didn’t take long to get used to the atmosphere.” She also found support whenever she asked. “If you want support online you can get it. If you want support on campus, you can get it, and if you want support from previous students, you can get it. I can talk to student success advisers, and they can help me. It’s been a transforming place for me.”
She has no regrets about her pathway. “Now, I honestly think it was better for me to start with the College. I’ll go into second year of engineering at UTS when I complete my diploma, so I won’t have to start from year one. That’s great because I don’t want any more wasted years. And I even have Palestinian colleagues here, on the same scholarship.” While Rama prizes this opportunity, sometimes her feelings are mixed. “While I’m here studying, I’m thinking of my friends back home,” she says. “I feel guilty because I have this chance and they don’t. But I’m very grateful. I appreciate this blessing that God gave me and I’m willing to do everything I can to be successful here.
Rama misses the streets of Gaza during happier times.
A meaningful career
At this stage, Rama is still considering her future. “I don’t like to think about it too much,” she says, “because I’ve always said I want to do this or that and things change all the time. But I do want to do a master’s degree. I want my work as an engineer to be meaningful. I’m going to do biomedical engineering. That’s a very useful profession because there are people in need. I’ll be helping people who really need me. I want to make my parents proud because they literally lost everything, and they have given me this chance. I’m going to do everything I can to make them happy again.”
Strong ties to home
Of course, Rama still misses the life she had before the war. She says, “I miss everything. My home, my friends, my school. I miss the streets – the feeling of being home and being safe. My heart is in Gaza because I still have family and friends there. I always think of them. I call my friends back home and we still joke around. They give me strength because they are still strong.”
From her experience, Rama has this advice for students who are starting over in a new country. “First, it’s important to acknowledge that it isn’t easy. Everything takes time. You can’t expect to be on top immediately. You need to try different things and never be afraid to fail or make mistakes,” she says. “Never feel afraid to show who you are. For me, as a Palestinian in Australia, I want to share our beautiful culture. We love to live and I’m proud of who I am.”
Learn more about the UTS Humanitarian Scholarship