Alaa’s Journey

Alaa nearly gave up on his dreams… Now he’s on a roll!

Alaa secures university spot, lands paid web contract, and interns at US AI firm!

“My journey has taken a good turn, but that isn’t the case for many other young people like me who are yearning for opportunities to change their lives. I now truly believe that tech education is the key. It truly can transform lives, uplift communities and maybe get Lebanon back up on its feet.”

Last year, Alaa had given up on his dream of going to university. His family had been struggling to make ends meet for the past 4 years, especially since his sister was ill and needed costly surgeries and treatments. To help, Alaa had been working alongside his father as a builder after school since he was 14.

The situation in Lebanon was hard on Alaa and he failed his senior year at public school and had to retake it. But despite that, Alaa stayed positive: “I learned that nothing should feel like the end of the world. It was a good experience.”

Determined to succeed

Alaa wanted to study Artificial Intelligence but couldn’t afford university tuition. So he put his education on hold and took up a job at a mobile store in addition to helping his father.

Then, Alaa heard about CodeBrave. He joined a session with his friend Imad, a CodeBrave student, to see what it was like. So he applied to CodeBrave’s 1-year web development course. Alaa showed so much passion and determination in his interview. He got accepted on the course.

Achieving his dream

Alaa’s coding lessons got his motivation back.

“My coding lessons became a place where I could escape reality and immerse myself in a world of endless possibilities. It wasn’t easy, and there were moments when I felt like giving up. Despite facing challenges, I became even more determined to succeed. And I have my amazing mentors and teachers to thank for that, for not allowing me to give up.”

One of his earlier assignments (check out his amazing BMW website!) really left a mark on him. “I was very proud. I felt like I achieved something so I started waiting for my next lessons.” He decided to find solutions to getting to university. He managed to get a loan from a family member and 65% financial aid from the university of his choice, and started university in Spring this year studying Computer Science!

One success after the next!

“The skills I learned in the CodeBrave programme helped me land my first tech job where I created a business website for a local library.”

Three months after joining CodeBrave, Alaa also got his first tech job when he walked into a library to buy a book. After speaking with the owner, he was hired to build a website for the library. “It didn’t feel like work. I did something that I enjoy and I got paid for that.”

He also learnt a lot of soft skills. ”You only know these projects’ worth when you move from the education market to the job market. Operations, communication skills, group work are all skills that we need.”

A couple of months later, Alaa was accepted as a LebNet scholar! The 5 month-long scholarship will allow him to learn new skills and build his network, facilitating his transition into the tech workforce post-university.

Alaa, on a roll, has now just been offered a 6-month internship at OiGetIt, a US-based AI company working in fake news classification! Stay tuned to see where he goes next.

What an inspiration to never give up on your dreams and believe in the power of your potential! Visit our Get Involved page for more details of how to support students like Alaa.

Have a look at his portfolio here.

NB: This blog, like all our blogs, has been published with the final review and consent of the student in question.