Goucher Supports the Iraqi Student Project

September 16, 2009 |

This fall Goucher welcomed a student from the Iraqi Student Project (ISP), a not-for-profit organization that works with American colleges and universities to secure tuition waivers or full scholarships for qualified Iraqi students who are unable to continue their education because of violence and chaos in their home country.

Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq and subsequent boom in sectarian violence there, Iraqi students have been left without teachers, without books and computers, and without university structures. Millions of Iraqis have taken refuge in Syria and Jordan, but they are not legally able to work in these countries. With no means to earn a living, students are forced to abandon higher education altogether. Only a few succeed in being resettled elsewhere.

The ISP is working in the Middle East to find qualified students — those who still reside in Iraq and those who have sought refuge elsewhere — who would not otherwise be able to attend university. The organization recommends these students to American colleges and universities that agree to waive tuition for their undergraduate study. The ISP also helps students through the processes of university admission and application for a student visa to the United States.

Goucher’s ISP student, Ahmed, is from Baghdad. He and his family have spent the last few years living in Damascus, Syria, as refugees, having fled Iraq because of violence. A first-year student, Ahmed hopes to major in biology and follow a pre-medical track. He plans to study dentistry and set up practice when he returns to Iraq. Ahmed is an avid soccer fan/player and enjoys photography. 

Goucher will provide Ahmed with a full tuition waiver for the four years of his undergraduate study. However, the program does not cover room, board, or spending money. Alessandra Manfre ‘04 is an ISP board member and is directing a Baltimore support group for Ahmed. The support group’s members plan fundraising events; host educational sessions about Iraq and the ISP; and provide for all the rest of Ahmed's physical, emotional, social, and financial needs (including finding housing).

To help support Goucher’s ISP student, please contact Manfre at goucherisp@gmail.com. For more information, including fundraising events, please see the website at http://www.ispbaltimore.org/ or the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=iraqi+student+project&init=quick#/group.php?gid=96915699543&ref=search&sid=609117827.1645707088..1.

To learn more about ISP or to find out more about how to help support the organization, please see http://iraqistudentproject.org.