It was almost impossible to imagine that the graduation research I worked on during the most challenging months of my life — amid power outages, unreliable internet, constant fear, and displacement — could one day be nominated for an Arab-level competition. Yet here I am, living the moment I never dreamed of, achieving a grade of 98, recognized and praised by my university professors. How could such an achievement be possible under these hard times?
My journey began in early October 2024. I received a call from my classmate, Lama Al-Shanti, informing me that she wanted us to complete our graduation research together. I liked the suggestion, and we registered for the course with Dr. Fayez Shaldan at the Islamic University of Gaza.
In our first meeting via Google Meet, the internet connection was weak and we couldn’t hear Dr. Fayez clearly. But we persevered, and Lama and I suggested the topic, “The Impact of the Classroom Environment in Educational Tents in the Southern Governorates of Palestine.” Dr. Fayez approved the project and I replied, “I pray to Allah that we live up to your expectations.”
Lama sent me several studies related to the classroom environment through WhatsApp. I clicked the download button, and after two hours of waiting I was able to download the studies. I spent more than two days reading and analyzing them.
Every two weeks we would meet with Dr. Fayez on Google Meet to discuss what we had accomplished, and we would set the meeting time two days in advance to ensure internet and electricity availability.
After about a month and a half, we had completed the research, finding that while educational tents lack essential elements such as comfortable seating and proper lighting, they provide strong psychological support and foster warm relationships between teachers and students. On the evening of December 8, Dr. Fayez informed us that the research would be discussed electronically via Google Meet on December 12 at 11 a.m., and there would be examiners from the Islamic University present with Dr. Fayez at his home.
On the morning of December 12, I woke up to the sound of Fajr Azan, prayed, and checked my phone’s battery. It was at 40%, so I thought it would be enough for the discussion. At 9 a.m., I taught an Arabic lesson to Ibrahim, a 9-year-old student from the UAE, via Google Meet. After finishing the session, I informed Ibrahim that my graduation research would be discussed that day, and he wished me good luck.
After the session I saw that my battery had dropped to 28%, so I turned off my phone to conserve the battery. I had breakfast with my family and told them that in an hour my graduation research would be discussed and that I needed to turn on the microphone and camera. My mother said, “May Allah grant you success, my dear.” She told everyone at home — my sisters, cousins, and their children — about the research discussion and asked them to maintain silence during the session.
At 11 a.m., I turned on my phone and joined the Google Meet link for the discussion. We introduced ourselves, and Dr. Fayez and the examiners, Dr. Raja and Dr. Muhammad, welcomed us. Dr. Raja had taught me a course on teaching methods two years ago; when I saw his name, I wondered if he remembered me.
Dr. Raja broke my train of thought, saying, “Ohood, a diligent student who I taught two years ago. When I first saw her name on the graduation research, I thought, ‘This must be a well-executed project.’” I smiled and replied, “May Allah bless you, this is by Allah’s grace and your kindness.” Dr. Raja then gave his feedback, most of which revolved around minor spelling errors. Dr. Muhammad also shared his feedback, praising the title and noting that it was an important topic not addressed in previous studies.
At 12 p.m., I noticed that my phone’s battery had dropped to 1%, so I plugged it into a broken solar panel charger. When the battery reached 5%, it stopped charging due to insufficient battery capacity. I then added my email to my mother’s phone and rejoined the meeting from her phone. About 15 minutes later, the internet cut off for a quarter of an hour, but I rejoined the meeting and apologized to the professors.
The doctors continued providing their feedback, comments, and suggestions. At 1 p.m., Dr. Fayez said, “We have finished the graduation research discussion. We will take five minutes to discuss your grade.” At that moment, I felt as though my heart was pounding with anxiety. After the five minutes, Dr. Fayez said, “I would like to thank you for this research. Congratulations, you have received a grade of 98.” I felt as if I was soaring in the sky, embracing my dreams. Dr. Muhammad also congratulated us, saying, “Congratulations on receiving this grade. You have excelled in the research, and it is considered one of the best research projects discussed recently.”
Dr. Fayez concluded the session by saying, “Now, I will leave you two to make the adjustments suggested because the research will be sent to a competition in Qatar, and registration ends in three days. You deserve to win it.”
We ended the meeting with Dr. Fayez, and I hugged my mother and told her about the outcome. She began praying for me, which comforted my heart. I then called my father, and he answered with his gentle voice, which was fatigued from work. When I told him of my grade, his voice changed from tiredness to joy, and he said, “Congratulations, my dear! I hope to see you at the highest ranks.”
A few minutes later, Lama called me on WhatsApp, and we started working on the adjustments together. She had opened the research on her laptop, and I read it on my phone, making the necessary changes and discussing them. We spent an hour and a half on the call. I then told her, “I only have 1% battery left, and I don’t have enough power to recharge my phone. I will close the call now and continue with the adjustments in the evening.” She replied, “Okay, but we don’t have much time. I will continue with the adjustments, and when you can recharge your phone, please review the modifications.”
I sent both my phone and my mother’s phone to our neighbor, Um Imad, to charge them. I retrieved them at 7 p.m., opened the phones, and reviewed the modifications Lama had made. My friend Noor then sent me a message to check on me. I replied with my usual response, “Alhamdulillah, I am fine.” She asked if I was still in West Gaza, and I told her I was.
Anxiety started creeping into my heart. I asked her, “What happened?” She replied, “The area has been warned because the occupation forces are planning extensive operations there.” I felt as if my dreams were shattered, and I opened Telegram to check the situation. I found on Facebook that the occupation forces had indeed threatened the area. I informed my father, and he said, “Prepare yourselves and your bags; we may need to leave.”
Despite my overwhelming fear, I gathered myself and said to my sister Zina, “Please get my university books for the current semester, important papers, and some clothes. I will finish the last adjustments and send the file.” She said, “Okay, but try to hurry.” I completed the adjustments and sent them to Lama, informing her that I had finished all the adjustments and that we could now send the research for the competition. I also told her that my area had been warned, and we would need to evacuate, so I might lose contact. She replied, “Don’t worry, I will take care of the registration for the competition. Just take care of yourself.” Lama then informed Dr. Fayez about what had happened, and she and the doctor proceeded with the registration for the competition.
I continued to organize my things and prepare for the evacuation, but fortunately it was a calm night, and we didn’t need to leave the house. I now await the announcement date for the competition results, with hope in my heart.
