![She didn't know English 6 years ago. Now this Syrian woman is a scholarship winner and studying nursing at MUN](https://i.cbc.ca/1.6718143.1674071359!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/jamila-nahhat-nurse-scholarship-winner.jpg)
She didn't know English 6 years ago. Now this Syrian woman is a scholarship winner and studying nursing at MUN
CBC
A 20-year-old woman who was forced to flee war and destruction in Syria as a child — which caused her education to grind to a halt — is now a high school graduate who is studying nursing at MUN, thanks to a scholarship.
"I learned the alphabet after my arrival in Canada. In the beginning, I could not understand anything in school, I tried to collect the letters together, then the words to understand what the teachers say," said Jamila Nahhat.
"With the support and encouragement of my teachers, I learned and succeeded to graduate from high school."
Nahhat, who continues to improve her English, graduated from Holy Heart High School in St. John's in 2022.
It's a long way from where she started.
She was born in 2002 in Idlib, Syria. Her family, which includes her parents and four younger siblings, fled to Lebanon in 2011.
"My education was stopped after moving to Lebanon. School fees were more than what my father could afford," said Nahhat.
"When I knew that we would come to Canada, I was very happy and enthusiastic because I [knew I would] go back to school again."
She said that date — Jan. 5, 2016 — is one she will never forget.
Nahhat recounts having lots of support while at Holy Heart, but signals out Greg Simmons, head of the newcomer programming, as a particular strong resource.
Simmons noted Nahhat's family had to make huge adjustments — to a new culture, language and environment.
"Despite these challenges, Jamila worked incredibly hard during her high-school years to learn the language, bridge her education gaps," he said. "This is an enormous achievement that shows incredible determination and strength of character."
Nahhat had another helpful influence after graduation.
Michelle Wall, the Community Centre Alliance's community employment facilitator, helped Nahhat apply for a scholarship from the Fry Family Foundation, a U.S.-based organization founded by Darryl and Marlene Fry. who were educated in St. John's.