The future her parents risked everything for

For my father, education was something denied to him under Saddam Hussein’s regime. Belonging to a persecuted sect in Iraq, the door to university was slammed shut for him, as it was for most of his generation.

My uncle vanished into a prison cell, and when my father was taken, he gave up all his savings to walk free.

That was the breaking point, and he decided to leave. After settling our family in Syria, he made a desperate gamble for a better life in Australia, which he reached via a treacherous sea voyage on a leaking ship with failing engines.

My father then spent a year in an Australian detention centre. His new world began through a barred window and a rationed, expensive phone call. After he was released and my mother joined him, they built a new life for us in a simple house in Sydney’s west.

They were homesick and had no extended family nearby, but they were deeply grateful to be in Australia.

The doors that were sealed shut for them have swung open for their children, revealing an architect who transforms spaces, a software engineer who builds systems, a pharmacist who heals, and me: a biomedical engineering student who hopes to improve lives through healthcare innovation.

So here I am, the result of my parents’ life work. My education, my safety and my very identity are the direct products of their sacrifice.

Receiving the Sir William Tyree Foundation’s Women in Engineering Scholarship has been an incredible boost. It has helped cover transport costs and books and allowed me to fully focus on university work.

Being connected to the Tyree network and hearing from other engineers about their journeys has deepened my appreciation for the opportunities this degree can create.

During my first year, I worked with fellow engineering students on a design project to build a bionic arm. That experience strengthened my passion for prosthetics and rehabilitation engineering and showed me the real impact that engineering can have on people’s lives.

Eventually, I want to help people in developing countries who have lost limbs as a result of war. Knowing the impact conflict has on families and communities has made me determined to contribute to healthcare solutions that restore independence and dignity.

I am proud to be part of the next generation of engineers working to create meaningful change.

Learn more about how philanthropy-funded scholarships are enabling students to learn, grow and succeed.