An interview with Amala alumnus, Nasser
This Amala Impact Story was produced by students from St Joseph’s Institution International (SJII), Amala partner school. It is the second in our interview series with the first cohort of Amala Global Secondary Diploma students.
Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Nasser, and I am 25 years old. I am from Syria, and I arrived in Jordan as a refugee in 2010. In 2020, I enrolled in Amala’s Global Secondary Diploma. Currently, I am working freelance in psychology and photography.
How did you end up enrolling in the Amala Global Secondary Diploma?
Before the Amala Global Secondary Diploma programme, I was studying art and culture. When I arrived in Jordan, I was suffering from some mental and emotional issues, so I looked for something to study that could potentially help me. I found a course at Sky School (Amala’s former name) where I learnt how to express myself and about other cultures. I had friends who were working at Amala at the time, and they advised me to apply for the Global Secondary Diploma.
Was Amala what you expected it to be?
Yes! Amala has helped me in a lot of different ways. The courses I took at Amala relating to art and culture helped me express my hobbies and passions. Now I am a photographer and storyteller for some NGOs and thanks to Amala, I learnt how to make and expand my networks. Amala has definitely helped me understand my own skills and develop them in a good and productive way.
Why did you choose to focus on arts and culture?
When I came from my country, Syria, I was suffering from mental health issues (post-traumatic stress disorder) because of the war and I was in need of someone who could help me rethink my problems from a more artistic approach. This is where Amala came in. Amala taught me how I could fix my mental health issues without hurting myself. Art is a good way to help yourself both emotionally and mentally. It allows you to take a step outside your personal space and to be able to interact with other people.
How has Amala created more possibilities for you?
After Amala, we had the Amman Impact Lab project, in which we had to make a website talking about mental health and share this information with other people. I took it up as my main project, and now I help other people with their mental health by spreading awareness. I also create free mental health sessions for some organisations. Once they see what I did at Amala, they often invite me to help make these courses to spread awareness about mental health for them. As part of the Amala Global Secondary Diploma, I developed my own pilot project, and thanks to them I am able to continue it even now.
So, as a social media expert, what exactly do you do and what message do you wish to share?
I make free courses about mental health, in order to raise awareness and teach people about it. Through this, I want to help others to improve and be equipped to fix their own mental health problems. As a social media expert, I take an idea and share it, which in this case is mental health awareness. I believe that everyone has a chance in this life, and they just have to take it.
What are your future plans, and how has Amala helped or encouraged you to take this initiative?
I want to start my own show to speak about wellbeing and relationships in the Middle East. However, I am still trying to find a good sponsor in order to get this idea off the ground. I haven't started anything yet, but I already have a lot of plans for the future - all I need is support. When I first started studying at Amala, I took courses about storytelling - how to define a story and to take good points from them and share it. I learned how to find stories and share the important ones, which is what I plan to do in the future. The Amala Global Secondary Diploma has helped me be more aware of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and this is something I want to focus on in the next few years. In the last two years, I can say Amala has helped me to bring hope to others.
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