Aida-Maria T. Abou Jaoudeh

Computer science student

My name is Aida-Maria Toufic Abou Jaoudeh and I have a Bachelor in Computer Science and I will soon get a Master in Computer Systems And Network with an emphasis on Information Security from the National Institute of Telecommunication and Informatics (INCI) at USJ.

During my graduate studies, I was awarded a $5,000 grant when I won the first prize in an entrepreneurial competition organized by the Maroun N. Chammas Foundation in partnership with the USJ Foundation. This allowed me to complete my first year of graduate school without worrying about my financial obligations at the end of the month. Despite having received a social grant from the Department of Social Services, my parents were always short on funds to pay the remaining balance. Even though I already thanked Mr. Maroun Chammas, the scholarship donor, by email, I can’t thank him enough for his generosity and his kindness to ambitious USJ students. I am both humbled and grateful for his support!

USJ helped me regain the self-confidence I lost during my school years. Since I joined the University in 2016, the campus staff has always been accommodating to my disability, while not treating me differently as compared to my peers which has shaped me into the person I am today. I would also like to thank the social services assistant, Mrs. Rita Nabhane Hatem, who has guided my journey from the very beginning, for her unconditional support and all her efforts to ensure that I can pursue my studies in the most normal way possible.

Thanks again to Mr. Maroun Chammas and to USJ for everything!