Success story for Syrian refugee
Her mother says Suaad Aalshleh has “worked her heart out”, but it’s paid off — the 18-year-old refugee won a scholarship to study medicine, and has even been recognised by the president of the European Commission.
Suaad and her mother arrived in Ireland in 2016, having fled Syria five years earlier when the ongoing civil war started. The family spent nine months in direct provision in County Monaghan, then moved to Portlaoise, County Laois.
The young girl worked hard at her studies, often in difficult circumstances. But she triumphed, gaining high points in her Leaving exams so she could study medicine, and then being awarded a scholarship by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She is now in her second year of medical training.
Read her full story here as reported in The Irish Times.
