Getting to Know Hala
Hala fled to Syria from Baghdad to escape the turmoil caused by the invasion. In Damascus, she began volunteering at the Red Crescent, the Middle East equivalent of the Red Cross, and it was while leading a group of ISP students who were going to pick up trash in Wadi Mar Musa that she met Gabe and Theresa, co-founders of the ISP. They accepted her into the Iraqi Student Project and on May 4, DePaul University accepted her as a Freshman.
Hala’s mother is a professor of engineering and her father died when she was young. She lived in Damascus with her uncle and brother and missed the competitive swimming in which she was able to participate before the war. Interested in both computer technology and bio-chemical engineering, she hopes to someday be a college professor in Baghdad.
Gabe and Theresa tell us, “Hala brings a liveliness and delight to any group. She writes creatively and is currently editing some stories written by ISP peers for possible publication.”
Please join me in welcoming Hala to the United States! If you post a comment below, I’ll send it on to her.
Rosalie Riegle for the Iraqi DePaul Support Committee
Thursday, May 7th, 2009, by roriegle and is filed under "Uncategorized ". leave a response here, or send a Trackback from your own site.
6 Responses “Getting to Know Hala”
Hi Hala. Your acceptance by DePaul is good news. I am looking forward to your arrival in Chicago. You can count on me to look out for your interests during your time here in the USA.
Sincerely, Elizabeth Mertic
,هالة
! أهلا وسهلا
Greetings Hala–
Congratulations on being accepted at DePaul. I am looking forward to meeting you in Chicago. I live not too far from the DePaul campus. Gabe and Theresa have been friends of mine for years — how fortunate your paths crossed at Mar Musa.
Regards,
Maria Leonard
my regards to everyone who wrote and sent their welcomes.. thank you all
I feel so happy to be accepted at DePaul University.
i hope that i’ll meet you in Chicago soon.
Hala Nakhla
Dear Hala,
I’m very excited to meet you soon in Chicago. I’m proud of you sister!
Farah
Hello Hala –
Welcome to the United States and to DePaul. My husband is a new professor of history at DePaul this year. He will be happy to help you with any assignments or questions that you have. His office is in SAC 417 and his office phone is 773-325-1769. He teaches American History and is happy to help any student in any way! His office hours are mostly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. His name is Dr. Tom Krainz. I am still living in Massachusetts while we wait for our house to sell but I will look forward to meeting you when I get there. I will be happy to take you shopping or to help you in anyway. Good luck with your studies and welcome.
Laura Knotts