Introducing our second cohort of Amala High School Diploma students
“I applied to Amala because I didn’t get to finish high school and go on to college. I really want to communicate with people more and share ideas. I also want to contribute to something useful that helps the community, something that matters. I hope the Amala High School Diploma will help me do this.” - Sarah, Amala High School Diploma Student, Second Cohort, Amman
We are thrilled to welcome our second cohort of students to the Amala High School Diploma (AHSD) in Amman, Jordan! The Amala High School Diploma is the first international high school diploma programme that is tailored to young refugees and their host communities. We first launched the Diploma Programme in Amman, Jordan in June 2020 in response to the gap in quality education provision for displaced youth. With our second cohort settling into their first few weeks of class we now have a total of 50 students studying for the Diploma Programme.
Our second cohort of students come from Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Jordan, Ghana, and Somalia. Thanks to an easing in lockdown restrictions in Amman, the group was able to meet in-person for a fun induction day where they had the chance to meet their facilitators and dive into team-building activities. They have now started the first two modules of the programme; Social Entrepreneurship and Ethical Leadership. Students will graduate in March 2022 after completing the remaining eight courses and a Personal Interest Project (PIP).
Meet our second cohort of the Amala High School Diploma:
Yasameen
Yasameen is originally from Iraq. She is excited to meet students of different nationalities as well as improving her English. With aspirations of becoming a lawyer, she hopes the AHSD will put her on a path to study at university. She is particularly interested in protecting the rights of women and children.
Qais
Qais is originally from Syria. He hopes the AHSD will open up opportunities for him to study communication and/or journalism at university. He is already a keen and talented photographer, working as a freelance photographer in his spare time. Through journalism, he hopes to contribute to peaceful co-existence between different communities and bringing an end to the Syrian civil war.
Sarah
Sarah is originally from Iraq. She is most looking forward to studying in English as well as learning through discussions and group work with other students. Sarah is interested in a variety of subjects, including graphic design, sign language, and animal behaviour.
Sharrifdeen
Sharrifdeen is originally from Ghana. He is looking forward to learning about ethical leadership. He hopes to one day return to Ghana as a teacher, sharing what he has learned through the AHSD. He believes having strong leadership skills will enable him to be an effective educator.
Vivian
Vivian is originally from Iraq. Vivian is not afraid to take initiative. She taught herself English by watching movies and listening to songs back in 2017 and is now looking forward to getting back to learning with Amala. She is particularly excited about the in-person class sessions.
Omar
Omar is originally from Somalia. He has spent the last few years honing his language skills, and even taught himself French. His dream is to one day become a teacher so he can utilise his languages to teach other refugee youth. Omar is most looking forward to meeting new people and improving his leadership skills on the diploma programme.
Fairouz
Fairouz is originally from Syria. Fairouz is looking forward to learning more about peacebuilding on the Diploma Programme so she can help rebuild her country. She has spent the last years taking English courses and hopes to improve her language skills on the programme and meet new people.
Malik
Malik is originally from Syria. He is an aspiring actor and currently performs in his local theatre and has even featured in some TV shows. He hopes to one day be famous and asked for an autograph! Malik is looking forward to joining Amala’s diverse community and sharing his ideas with the group.
Sarah
Sarah is originally from Syria. Sarah is interested in social work and refugee studies and is therefore excited to learn more about leadership and sustainable peace on the AHSD. She is used to studying independently and has taken various programming and user experience design courses in Jordan.
Sharmaarke
Sharmaarke is originally from Syria. Sharmaarke wants to study international law and humanitarian studies in order to help his community that has been affected by war. He is a problem solver and is looking forward to sharing new learning experiences with his classmates.
Rama
Rama is originally from Syria. She aspires to study criminology at university and go on to become an investigator; she describes herself as an analytical and adventurous person. Rama is also interested in graphic design and photoshop.
Aram
Aram is originally from Iraq. Before applying to the AHSD, Aram taught himself electronic engineering and ran his own business fixing laptops and phones. His education was interrupted when he left Iraq and he is excited to have this opportunity to be able to study and maintain his work commitments in Jordan. Aram hopes the Diploma Programme will open up better job opportunities or help him study computer engineering or psychology at university.
Tarteel
Tarteel is originally from Sudan. For Tarteel, Amala is “the light” for her to start achieving her goals. She hopes to complete her education and become a pharmacist. Tarteel is most looking forward to developing her leadership skills on the programme and learning more about the problems around education facing refugees and their communities.
Sameer
Sameer is originally from Syria. He was attracted to the variety of subjects the AHSD covers, and is particularly interested in learning about economics and societies. In his free time, Sameer enjoys making his own music - he taught himself to play the piano!
Mayas
Mayas is originally from Syria. Mayas was inspired to apply to the AHSD after hearing positive reviews from her brother, who is part of the first cohort. She is most excited about Amala’s interactive classes and the Social Entrepreneurship module as she wants to learn more about business.
Ibrahim
Ibrahim is originally from Sudan. Ibrahim is particularly interested in the Arts and Peacebuilding courses on the Diploma Programme. He is passionate about creating peace and being able to give back to his community. He is excited for this new experience with Amala and is eager to learn as much as possible!
Hajir
Hajir is originally from Iraq. Hajir plans to combine her interest in programming, medicine and artificial intelligence to start her own business; one that can help victims of war. She loves to keep busy by investing her time in learning something new every day and making time for her family. She is looking forward to meeting and interacting with new people on the diploma programme.
Mansour
Mansour is originally from Syria. Mansour is an artist, and taught himself to draw, taking inspiration from his Uncle’s art pieces. He is interested in studying interior design or digital marketing and hopes the Diploma Programme will open doors to new communities and people where he can share his artwork and improve his English skills.
Batoul
Batoul is originally from Syria. Batoul’s dream job is to be an interior designer. She has taken online web design courses to help her achieve this dream and is looking forward expanding her knowledge further on the Diploma Programme.
Mahmoud
Mahmoud is originally from Syria. His dream is to become a doctor and an active member of his society. He is most excited about improving his communication skills and getting to know his classmates. In his free time, Mahmoud enjoys reading and doing puzzles.
Asrar
Asrar is originally from Syria. Asrar likes the fact that the AHSD is led by facilitators, rather than teachers, and is looking forward to making new friends on the programme. She is particularly interested in the peacebuilding course and developing her English skills.
Mohamad
Mohamad is originally from Syria. Mohamad is most excited about collaborating with different people on the programme and sharing his opinions freely. He is interested in digital marketing, music and cooking and could see himself launching his own startup in the future.
Rola
Rola is originally from Syria. Rola speaks multiple languages, including Turkish which she taught herself in just 2 months. She next wants to start learning Chinese! Her plan for the future is to become a professional translator and hopes the AHSD will help her develop more soft skills.
Hasan
Hasan is originally from Syria. He seeks to dedicate his life to supporting others in his community. Currently, he works at Generation for Peace as a youth trainer, “building peace through sports and dialogue”. Hasan believes the AHSD will help him learn new things that will enable him to create greater change.
Mohammad
Mohammad is from Jordan. He currently works as a freelance videographer and designer. He loves to express himself through film. Through film-making, he also hopes to raise awareness about issues in his community. Mohammad believes the AHSD will help him develop his English as well as leadership and storytelling skills.
We want to wish the best of luck to our students and give them a warm welcome to the Amala community!
Learn more about the Amala High School Diploma here.
“I hope to learn more about peace building on the Amala High School Diploma so I can rebuild my country and improve my English skills. I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with my classmates.” - Fairouz, Amala High School Diploma Student, Second Cohort, Amman
