AUIS Student: Nayef Khalaf
“By thinking outside the box and exploring new ideas, you can differentiate yourself and achieve your goals in a way that sets you apart from others,” Nayef Sabri
Nayef Sabri joined the American University of Iraq, Sulaymaniyah, in the spring of 2018. He was born in June 1996 in a village called Kerzark in Shingal, Nineveh. Nayef completed his primary and intermediate studies in Shingal. Unfortunately, his high school education was cut short due to the attack of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Shingal in 2014. Nayef and one of his brothers decided to return to school in 2015, but the school was located too far away from their home. Despite this, they walked approximately five kilometers every morning to attend school.
However, Nayef’s studies were interrupted again due to financial constraints. To support himself and his brother financially, Nayef started working part-time with a group he formed called Sunrise. The group partnered with organizations to provide services to people in the camp where Nayef lived. By the end of 2015, Nayef had successfully transformed Sunrise from a small group to an official organization that served people in need in the camp and outside of it.
Despite experiencing poverty, displacement, and the horrors of war, Nayef has never lost faith in his abilities. In 2016, Nayef resumed his studies at Sharya Ronahy School in Sharya. He studied hard every day. His efforts paid off as he emerged as a top student in his first two courses. In the final exams, Nayef achieved an average grade of 95%.
In 2018, Nayef was awarded the Excellence Scholarship to study at the American University of Iraq, Sulaymaniyah. He began his academic journey by enrolling in the Academic Preparatory Program (APP) during the 2018-2019 academic year. In the spring of 2019, Nayef started his undergraduate studies, majoring in Business Administration. Nayef quickly established himself as one of the top students in his major, thanks to his unwavering effort and perseverance. He was honored several times with certificates of excellence for achieving high GPA. Nayef’s academic achievements demonstrate his exceptional ability to excel in his studies and his commitment to academic excellence.
Nayef is very excited because he will graduate this semester after a long journey at AUIS. He considers his time at AUIS to be one of the best chapters in his life and will miss it a lot after graduation.
- Hashim Haji Mousa