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Stories of Wonder platforms and celebrates the real impact Deakin students, alumni, researchers and staff are making in the world, right now.
In 2015, Ameer and his family
arrived in Australia, seeking asylum.
Despite facing significant barriers,
Ameer persevered through high
school graduating year 12 twice.
He then received Deakin's Sanctuary
Scholarship, giving him the opportunity to
study his dream course of medical imaging.
Now preparing for a future in medicine,
he reflects on his journey aspirations
and the crucial role scholarships
play in providing life-changing
access to higher education.
Recorded on the lands of
the Wadawurrung people.
This is Stories of Wonder.
Hi Ameer.
Hi Dom..
Welcome.
Thanks.
Good to see you.
This is a big day for you, so I'm
surprised that you are so calm because
you've actually hopefully finished
studying something here at Deakin.
What have you been studying?
I've been studying BA a Bachelor
of Medical Imaging, and I've just
finished my final assessments a couple
of weeks ago, so I'm a bit relieved.
Uhhuh, how are you feeling about them?
I'm feeling pretty good.
Yeah, we'll see how we go.
Marks are not out yet, but
i'm feeling optimistic.
We wanna talk a bit about just your
story and how you ended up studying
here and, hopefully completing,
this amazing course here at Deakin.
So you were born in Libya, is that right?
Yep.
In September, 2001.
Yep.
Yeah.
Very interesting time for that
part of the world and then you
moved pretty quickly to, the UAE?
Correct.
And then to Iraq.
Yes.
Which by that time was war-torn.
Tell me a little bit about growing
up there and anything you remember.
Look, I'm Iraqi, my dad used
to work in Libya as a lectures
in Libia in civil engineering.
And that's why I was born there and
shortly after we moved to the UAE where
he was working as an engineer, four years
later, his work visa has expired and we
had no other place but to return to Iraq.
So yeah, that's when I returned to Iraq.
Iraq is war torn.
there's always drama in Iraq.
There's always something happening.
Unfortunately my family was
reaching a point where they were
thinking there's, it's no use.
And, to stay in Iraq,
future is not stable.
Nothing is stable in Iraq and
when ISIS really occupied.
A third of Iraqi territory back
in 2014, my family decided to
leave Iraq one way or another.
So I guess when my father received an
offer to finish, his PhD here at Deakin
in Australia, it was a relief for us.
It was, it was amazing as it
meant, a new beginning and, a
way to a better future really.
Yeah, quite a dramatic difference I
would imagine because with the rise of
isis, I believe your family was being
questioned about whether they harboured,
any kind of westernised views on things.
Yeah, people were very accusative.
They would,
accuse you of harbouring westernised
ideologies for the way you know, your
clothes, the way you talk, or, it was
a very intense, period and I believe it
still is over that part of the world.
It's very easy to be accused of,
being westernised when you're really
just, living your normal life.
So the family moves to Australia
in what, 2015, 2014, 2015?
Correct.
Yeah.
Yeah.
'Cause your father got a,
scholarship here at Deakin?
Yeah.
Yeah.
You didn't speak any English
when you arrived, did you?
Not at all.
What was that like?
It was, very, I guess intense, but it's
just funny 'cause the school I went to
had no international students, at all.
It was just me and my brother.
And what year were you?
What, how old were you when you moved?
I was midway through year eight.
Through year eight.
Yeah.
Wow.
So right, like in the
thick of high school,
Yeah.
Yeah.
It was, It was a bit intense.
Not having anyone that speaks Arabic
in my school was a bit challenging,
but it was also the reason why I
guess my language developed quickly.
Because I was forced to speak English.
There was no other language to
communicate other than English, really.
And I think it had a silver lining
in the end in that I, my language
progressed very well, quite rapidly.
And you moved schools a little bit, you
were already in year eight, and then
very quickly you would've been nearing
sort of VCE level, was that difficult?
And was it ever a consideration to like,
not do VCE and do something different?
For me, not at all.
VCE was the goal.
Getting into university and finishing
my tertiary studies was my goal
throughout my life, and I was willing
to do anything really to get there.
And if it meant that I had to
move to different schools just
to pursue that, then so be it.
We moved countries to pursue a
better life and a better future.
So yeah.
So I believe that you had to move schools
in the end because you were being a
little bit discouraged by one of the
schools to maybe do VCAL instead of
VCE but you knew what you wanted to do.
You knew you wanted to go
to uni at the end of it.
So how did moving schools work at that
kind of critical point of your education
and what did it mean for your family?
I was nearing year 10
and the student advisor,
they had good intentions and
that it would've been easier to,
pursue in terms of communication.
Was it purely because of your
English skills, do you think?
Look, partly, because of that and
mostly because the school I was
at had a majority of international
students and many of them, like it
was an international, student center
in Geelong, like a public school.
And many of them I guess,
we're pursuing VCALs.
And I guess when you're exposed to
that number of students that pursue
a certain path, you just
assumed that everyone is gonna
be Inclined to go down that way.
So it was a common thing, it wasn't
... they weren't singling you out.
No, the majority, of the
students, at that school took, the
That path out.
And I guess, when I was explaining
that, no, that's not what I want.
They were a bit worried that perhaps
I was gonna struggle, I was gonna
get overwhelmed by the load of
work at VCE and then I would just
set myself up to failure really.
So I've decided to move to a
different school, which I ended up,
staying there and completed my high
school there, Belmont High School.
And your family had to move suburbs?
Correct.
To get into that school, right?
Correct.
They had a, like a radius,
zone to which they can accept students
from and which I contacted them a
couple of times, but, moving there
and they're like, unless you're in
that radius, we really can't do much.
So yeah, we moved into that area.
What was that conversation
like with your family?
Look, my family prioritises
education in general and they want
a better future for us, really.
They were like, if you, if we have to move
suburbs in order for you to complete what
we know you can achieve, we can do that.
There's no problem.
Yes, it's gonna be a bit hard.
but there's no problem.
We'll just do it.
And I'm very pleased that my family
is very supportive, to be honest.
Yeah.
Honestly, I think we all
are very pleased for you.
How did you know at that age, what 16
or 17, that you definitely wanted to
do VCE because you wanted to go to uni?
Did you know what you wanted
to study at that point?
Yeah.
It's such a big decision
to make at that age.
I don't know that I'd be
making that kind of call.
I'm lucky in that I knew what I
wanted to do like ever since I started
school, I wanted to pursue a career
in, healthcare and, eventually end up
doing medicine if the chance permits.
And that's my goal.
I wanna be the first medical
doctor in the family.
I wouldn't say the first
doctor in the family.
I was always inclined to do medicine.
My goal was to do medicine.
So I knew in order to get
to there, I need to do VCE.
Not only did you do VCE, you
finished year 12 with the 92
ATAR and then you did it again.
Why?
Simply because I wasn't offered a, like a
full fee paying scholarship and I couldn't
afford international tuition fees.
So I was like, my best option is to
just repeat and try again, really.
Try to get a better, maybe then
I'll be able to land a scholarship
that will pay for my tuition fees.
I wasn't aware of the Sanctuary
scholarship at the time, so like I didn't
apply to it initially in my first year.
Yeah.
And then in my second year, one of my
teachers mentioned that one of their
students got the Sanctuary scholarship
and was in similar shoes as me, and
that's how they went through with it.
So I started Googling it and then
I found out about the scholarship
and everything happens from there.
And for those who don't know, can you
explain what a sanctuary scholarship is?
A sanctuary scholarship is, a
full fee paying, full tuition fee
paying scholarship for refugees
and asylum seekers on bridging
visas, safe haven visas, protection
visas, that are not entitled for
a HECS loan for tertiary studies.
And it changes lives, I guess.
I'm amazed at you.
firstly, what was it
like to do year 12 again?
Look, many people are like
discouraging, and I understandably
everyone, try to explain that a
92 ATAR is exceptional as it is,
and provided that perhaps I did not
get a scholarship with a 92 ATAR,
it's very hard to go up from there and
aim for, a scholarship or something
that would, cover my tuition fees.
Did you go up from there?
I did, yeah.
How high up did you go?
It's marginally, yeah.
So 93, I think it was 93 .20 or something.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Like my school was
understanding Belmont High.
They congratulated me about a
92, it was a couple of weeks ago.
Then I, a couple weeks later, I
call 'em back and I'll be like,
Hey, I'm repeating year 12.
Yeah, I guess he's coming back.
Yeah.
So they were like... it is exceptional.
I think I got a 76 or something.
And I'm sitting here talking
to you, so that's amazing.
Just a, it is just a tool or
a pathway to get into uni.
It has no,
yeah.
Really, significance after once,
once you get into uni really.
Yeah, absolutely.
But I just can't get over your
determination as a young person who
wasn't even an adult yet to know
exactly what it will mean for your
future to just push a little bit more.
Look, my family had, did not have an
easy life and yet they provided the
best life they could have for me.
So the least I can do is just to make
them proud and they'll be just happy
to see me doing what I wanna do.
And if that's what I wanna do, I might as
well, just sacrifice another year for it.
Explain to me.
What the feeling was like when you
found out that you got the scholarship,
the Sanctuary Scholarship from Deakin.
It was unbelievable.
I was literally jumping through
the roof, I received a call.
It wasn't even like an email or anything.
They personally called me and
they were like, congratulations,
you got the scholarship.
And I was like, nah.
This is not true, are you sure?
I was like, they were like, yes.
And I was like, so I straight
up started screaming, really.
You're telling everyone
I got the scholarship!
I got the scholarship!
And it was like, I was under a fair bit of
pressure, going, doing year 12 twice, and
like I took a risk and it was worth it.
A massive risk.
Yeah.
It's it's such an incredible
decision to do that.
And the fact that you pushed through
and did it and then got the scholarship.
What, did your family think?
They were very proud.
I was, they were very pleased.
And I can't say it was my achievement
only, because they've been there
throughout two years of year 12
throughout my whole life really,
supporting, me, encouraging me,
providing me with everything I need.
I've never, I never saw my
family happier before, really.
Yeah.
Are you an only child?
No, I've got two other siblings.
Are they younger than you?
Yeah.
Both are younger.
Right, how are they going
with their stuff, by the way?
Ali, my,
he's 22 and he's also a sanctuary
scholarship recipient studying
computer science at Deakin.
And Hassan is only six years old.
And he's got a sanctuary scholarship
studying computer science.
Okay, so you get the scholarship,
but you still have to work a bit
to support your family, right?
Your father ends up
having to go back home.
Is he still there or has he been able to?
He is.
He's still there.
He's still there.
And you are left to help support
the family while you are studying.
Your mum doesn't speak or didn't
speak fluent English at the time?
She's improving now, but yeah, when he
left she spoke hardly any English really.
She, has Hassan who was turning
four at the time, so it was a
full-time commitment for her.
And was your younger brother in
high school at the time as well?
Yeah, ali was in year 12, so we didn't
wanna, we wanted to provide him with
the same environment that I had.
And considering that he's not
entitled for a HECS fund either, so
it was very extreme for him as well.
Did that mean that things like parent
teacher interviews and things like
that, you had to be there to help
translate or what was the deal?
Pretty much everything.
My mum did not have a driver's
license back then, so I was the
only one with a driver's license.
and so I was there during
parent teacher interviews.
I was there during medical
appointments to just have him there
and interpret at the same time.
That sounds like a lot of
pressure and a lot of stress.
How did your first years of studying
go dealing with all of that?
It was a bit challenging.
Like I said, I was taking care of Hassan,
including dropping him off, picking him
up from kindergarten and later school.
Taking care of groceries.
I had to take care of expenses such
as rent and bills, and what that
meant for me was that I needed to
work 30 to 40 hours a week, really.
30 to 40 hours a week?
Pretty much.
Yeah.
Yeah.
While you were studying?
Yeah, to cover these expenses.
I held two part-time jobs.
When did you work?
There's not enough hours in the day.
When did you work?
That's the thing.
I was, I was pretty much like a typical
work day for me would be like, attending
lectures or labs as early as 8:00 AM
and being there, to about 3:00 PM in
terms of my lectures and, uni work.
And after that I would go back.
I was working afternoon shifts,
which was about from 4-12,
So I was ending up back on around
1:00 AM by the time I get home.
And that's pretty much it.
I was taking a week off prior to exams.
Yep.
Or assessment due dates
just to get things running.
That's not sustainable for most.
Talk to some actual Deakin
students having an 8:00 AM lecture.
Is not sustainable for them, and it's
probably the only thing they're doing that
entire day, let alone starting your day
at 8:00 AM at, studying at Deakin and then
not getting home until 1:00 AM after work.
That's crazy how that, how, long
were you able to sustain that for?
Were there concessions made?
Did your work, at uni
suffer or have to change?
I'm, I've passed and I've
got decent okay marks.
But the way I think about it is, have I
not had these kind of responsibilities
and these kind of commitments, my marks
would've reflected my potential more.
And I am a bit worried provided that,
I'll use these marks in my undergraduate,
in my application for medical school.
As you know, I'm trying to pursue
medicine, and medicine is a
competitive course at it as it is,
and they want the best of the best.
I just hope that there's a... someone
can see this or there's a, a system which
I can, they can review my circumstances
during that period because had I been
a regular student, rest assure my
marks would've been, medicine level.
Did you have to slow the course down
or anything like that go part-time
or were you full steam ahead?
No, I was full-time.
Wow.
let's talk about the future, then.
You've got two ATARs, you've
already passed a bit of this,
you're hopefully about to graduate.
We'll find out today what is next?
So you wanna study medicine?
Yeah.
Why?
That's just my passion.
Sometimes you just can't explain
it, but I always knew I wanted a
career in medicine or in healthcare.
I just find the fact that you
manage a patient's, treatment plan
from start to finish is just very
rewarding, which is what you'd be
doing in most, medical specialties.
I like working in medical imaging.
I like radiography.
I plan to work as a radiographer for
the next few years, but I hope to
ultimately end up doing medicine.
Yeah, I don't know how to explain that.
I just wanna do it.
That's great.
And so what are the next steps from here?
Currently I'm volunteering at
the Welcome Place, which is an
organisation, in Geelong that help
asylum seekers and refugees, and one
that I have been accessing in the past.
Now that I'm graduated and I've
got a bit more free time, I've
decided to volunteer there.
Excited about starting
working as a radiographer.
And just getting into the
healthcare system really.
And I've already started
studying for the GAMSAT.
Which is an exam you gotta take as
part of the medical application process
and we'll see where we go from there.
A few random ones for you in the course
that you're now finishing at Deakin,
were there any particular highlights?
Was there anything strange you had to do
as part of your course for the first time?
Overall, I really liked
this course, to be honest.
I think it was, much thought had been put
into it and there was plenty of placements
that we went on to, experience and be
exposed to the variety of the healthcare
system and enough the radiography field.
So you'd be exposed to clinics, hospitals,
rural, metropolitan, interstate.
I wouldn't change anything about the
course, but if I had to change one thing,
it would be the interstate or the out,
away from home placement requirement.
I thought it was challenging
to accommodate, especially
considering my circumstances.
What was the support like for you,
considering all of your kind of
circumstances at home and studying?
The scholarship itself did not just
simply include the tuition fees.
No, it was continuous support
throughout the whole course,
and I really appreciate that.
Shout out to Richard Mansfield.
Richard.
He was my academic mentor
throughout the course.
He, provided me with some textbooks
that I borrowed throughout the
course to aid with my studies.
He was checking on my progression.
And I think that was in collaboration
with the scholarship team.
I've also accessed the wellbeing and
had support from the wellbeing case
manager, Marina throughout this course.
And this included a DUSA membership
a parking permit for my on campus
activities, which was really handy.
In addition to the regular check-ins
and, support letters when it
comes to placements and all that.
So I've had plenty of support.
My family was supportive as I've
mentioned, a couple of times.
My mum, my dad, my two brothers,
and yeah, it's been really great.
In terms of hospital scrubs and
supplies that I need for to,
fulfill the requirements of the
course like placement uniforms.
It all came down from the, scholarship
grants that I was receiving.
So you wanna study medicine.
And you've, you've gone through all of
this study so far, two ATARs, a long uni
journey so far, the sanctuary scholarship.
How are you feeling about your
application, and moving on to the
next step and getting in somewhere
that you are happy to study.
Dom, I'm not gonna lie,
it's been in my head.
I'm a bit worried about the
application process, 'cause
because it's, look, medicine is a
very competitive course as it is.
It's probably, the most
competitive course there is.
But I'm very optimistic
about Deakin's medicine.
I'm a Deakin graduate and I've liked
the Waurn Ponds campus where the medical
school is, and we'll see how we go.
Finally, what advice would you have
for someone, someone young who's in a
very similar situation that you were
back in kind of the mid 2000s, moving
to Australia, wanting to finish their
studies and study something like you are?
The one thing I can say is keep working.
in a country like Australia, it's
community, it's people really
admire and support hard workers.
So keep working.
Don't worry about, technicalities
and complications, visa
issues, stuff like that.
Work hard, keep a clear sight of
your dream and what you want to
do, and don't be discouraged by
the first person that says, no.
And I'm sure good things
will come your way.
Like I said, the people of Australia,
the community is very supportive.
It provides opportunities like
Deakin's Sanctuary Scholarship and
I'm sure there's many more of, maybe
not when I first started, but I know
that now many universities have a
sanctuary or a refugee scholarship.
Monash, Melbourne,
many other universities now
they've started to adopt that.
Deakin was the first though,
I really like that and I'm
sure you'll get your way.
Ameer, thank you so much for chatting
to us today and telling us your story.
And congratulations.
Thank you very much.
we'll edit this, if it doesn't go that
way, commiserations, but congratulations.
Thanks, very much.
Thanks for having me.