A 19-year-old Syrian Muslim student has been named the 2022 student of the year in the Netherlands, in recognition of her talents in a highly competitive environment.
Lava Haji emigrated with her family from Syria to the Netherlands in 2018. The family settled in the city of Groningen in the northern Netherlands where Haji began learning Dutch.
Now, she holds a five-year residency permit and hopes to obtain citizenship soon.
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Haji was granted the title for secondary vocational education (MBO), which consists of four levels, last month, Kurdistan 24 reported.
She is currently studying business administration at the MBO’s level four, which focuses on middle management training. Haji was also named the Ambassador of the vocational training establishment.
Working in a part-time job at an electronics company, Haji hopes to establish her own business in the field in the future.
Though she misses her country, Haji sees more opportunities awaiting her in her new home.
“I miss my country and village as I have been away from them for years,” she said.
Success Stories
There are several other success stories of Syrian refugees and immigrants, with a lot of different dimensions pertaining to their struggles and challenges facing them.
High school students in Illinois honored their Syrian classmate Fatima Akili, choosing her as the most inspirational student at school.
The success of another Syrian refugee family grabbed attention in Connecticut, becoming a subject of an American graphic novel telling their story of success in the US.
Razan Alsous, one of the UK’s Syrian refugees, won bronze at the 2014 World Cheese Awards. Moreover, she won gold at the World Cheese Awards in 2016.
Dr. Amani Ballour was awarded the Council of Europe’s Raoul Wallenberg Prize in 2020 for her personal courage, bravery, and commitment to save hundreds of lives during the Syrian war.
In Nova Scotia, Canada, a Syrian family also celebrated success after opening their own successful chocolate factory.