Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: News

Editor's note: Meghan Hurley and Amanda Finnegan received the Eileen Egan award for journalism

because of stories they did for Loquitur on Fair Trade. This is the highest award for journalism

given to journalists writing for Catholic publications. They are the first journalists to win who wrote for a college newspaper.

As a result of their award, they traveled to Syria and Lebanon

with Catholic Relief Services for two weeks at the beginning of October to report on the Iraqi refugee crisis. This is a report by Meghan Hurley on the Iraqi Student Project.

The Iraqi Student Project was started out of the need for two Americans to do something for the country of Iraq. Gabe Huck and Theresa Kubasak started the project in 2007 after they saw how many young students had to flee Iraq and leave behind any opportunity of continuing their education.

Based in Damascus, Syria, Huck and Kubasak are now preparing

to send a second group of Iraqi students to the United States to receive a four-year college

education.

"This can help break down stereotypes

Americans have about Iraqis and Arabs," Kubasak said.

They are currently preparing a group of more than 11 students to receive tuition waivers from colleges and universities all over the United States. Among the requirements

for applying, which include being proficient in English

and not having the financial ability to study in Syria or another

Middle Eastern country, they have to be firm in their willingness

to return to Iraq once they have graduated.

The desire of the Iraqi students

to return home to Iraq after studying in the United States was strongly apparent.

Moustafa studied pharmacy for two years in Iraq before he had to leave.

"I just hope to be a good pharmacist," he said. "I am planning

to return to Baghdad to help put my country back together."

"I want to complete my study of medicine because that is what my country needs," Raed, another student preparing

to study in the U.S., said. Loquitur is not using last names to ensure their safety.

These students have all had to leave Iraq due to threats and the increasing violence around their homes and universities. Dhuba, who has already being in college for two years, had to leave Iraq after he got shot in the hand.

Rahman, 24, arrived in Damascus

in 2007. He left Baghdad

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools