From Jordan to Georgetown: Displaced Students Complete Hubs Access Program and Arrive at Top World Universities 

By Christian Baobab

The Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives support students from displaced backgrounds and those with limited and/or restricted mobility who have faced barriers accessing opportunities for higher education. Through the Realizing Higher Education Access Program (RhEAP), students immerse themselves in simultaneous, globally influenced but localized learning, seeking to build up skills in language, analysis, academic writing, and the competencies they need for success in university and the professional world.

Maysam Alhaj Mohammad is one of the many students who were empowered by RhEAP to reach their full potential and get accepted by top universities worldwide. Originally from Syria and displaced in Jordan for over eleven years, Alhaj Mohammad joined the RhEAP program in 2024 with thoughts of working in the medical field. In 2025, she was accepted by Georgetown University in Washington, DC, as an undeclared pre-med student.  There she plans to major in either biochemistry or neurobiology.

Alhaj Mohammad says the RhEAP program was instrumental in helping her enhance her skills in writing, critical thinking, science literacy, and world history. “These subjects helped me build strong habits for studying, understand how to read and analyze complex texts, and most importantly, practice my English in an academic setting,” she says.

A key feature of RhEAP’s program delivery is the hybrid classroom, where students from many locations, including Kenya, Bangladesh, and Jordan, come together in a shared online learning environment. This setup allows students to not only learn from course materials but also from their peers’ experiences and perspectives on local and global issues. 
  
Instructors in the RhEAP program genuinely care about students’ growth and development and encourage them to ask thought-provoking questions, explore new ideas, and seek knowledge from locally available resources and the global network present in the online classroom. “The mix of backgrounds made our discussions rich and eye-opening. We shared perspectives on many different issues, and I felt like I was not only learning from the courses but also from my colleagues,” points out Alhaj Mohammad. 

In addition to the online classroom, students in the RhEAP program have dedicated days to meet with their peers, teaching assistants, facilitators, and sometimes their instructors onsite at other Hubs partner institutions. Alhaj Mohammad attended such onsite classes at Souriyat Across Borders (SAB), a partner organization in Amman, Jordan. At SAB, she had the opportunity to directly engage in deep, meaningful conversations with her peers, partake in fun activities, and talk about her dreams and aspirations. This aspect of learning aims to support students so they can grow together academically and socially.
 
“(Souriyat Across Borders) felt like home to me,” says Alhaj Mohammad. “It wasn’t just about studying, it was a real community. I was surrounded by ambitious, inspiring students who shared the same passion for education and advocacy. That experience taught me that education isn’t just about books and assignments; it’s also about connection, support, and believing in yourself and others,” she added.

Since childhood, Alhaj Mohammad’s childhood wanted to work in the diplomatic and humanitarian aid sector. After high school, as she was figuring out her next move, she capitalized on her gap year by engaging with policymakers and humanitarian organizations as part of UNICEF’s Youth Advisory Council and as a member of the Arab Girls’ Summit Steering Committee. These experiences allowed her to reflect on her passions, discover new interests, advocate for policy change, and make recommendations on key issues affecting girls and minority populations, including refugees in the MENA region. 

Now in the US, she hopes to merge her passion for advocacy and policymaking with her study in medicine to influence policies and strengthen advocacy for accessible healthcare and medical care in favor of vulnerable communities, especially refugees. 
 
“Georgetown was my dream university, and I never thought I’d end up in such an incredible place,” says Alhaj Mohammad.  “While I haven’t officially started yet, I had the chance to visit campus recently. During the tour, I felt like I truly belonged. The welcoming atmosphere, the supportive environment, the diversity, and the wide range of academic and extracurricular opportunities made me even more excited to start my journey there in Fall 2025.” 

For many refugee students, adjusting to life in a foreign country is a challenging process, especially being far from their families. But for Alhaj Mohammad, studying abroad is goal fulfilled, not only for the education, but also for the exposure to new cultures and experiences. “Every day brings its challenges, and I am truly grateful to be part of them; they allow me to find my rhythm in this new environment, one step at a time," she adds.

Post Date: 05-08-2025