Studying at Eastern Mennonite University has not only allowed me to gather vast knowledge and wisdom, but it has also let me meet quality people as well. Recently, I had the chance to work with and know a very passionate and motivated student, Maha Mehanna, from Gaza, Palestine.

“My name is Maha Mehanna. I am from Gaza, Palestine, born and raised there. I grew up in a very big family. I have three older brothers and four older sisters, so I am the youngest. My family and I were part of the middle class in Gaza,” she began with.

Mehanna’s personality has been shaped according to her childhood and life experience.

“As a child, I was deprived of many things because I was the youngest,” Mehanna said. “I never bought the clothes I wanted or the toys I wished I had. I never celebrated my birthday, either. Despite this, I didn’t feel inferior to others, because other families in Gaza are similar. During Eid, which is the biggest celebration in Middle East, we buy new clothes. However, I always bought the cheap clothes from the thrift stores. This never stopped me from dreaming and achieving what I wanted. If my father was not rich to provide this for me, I agreed with myself that I [would] achieve it in the future.”

While talking about universities and her passion for college, Mehanna’s face changed completely.

“I was doing well at school, and then I decided that I wanted to be at the top of the class. I realized that when I was in third grade. I wanted to be someone people could look up to and become educated. I lived in a culture where women marry [at] the age of 16. I wanted to be special. Learning another language would give me this status. I could hardly wait until grade five so I could learn English. All of my time was focused into learning English, at the expense of the other subjects. When I truly had the highest GPA, this started giving me more motivation. When I was 14, I received the first offer to get married. I thought to myself, ‘I am a child! Why should I get married at this age?’ I lived in a conservative, male-[dominated] society. Women are controlled by their father and brothers when they are single and by their husbands after they marry. All of my sisters got married before 18 by family- arranged marriages. I don’t know why, but I thought it [was] wrong. I didn’t want to be controlled by another man. I would rather be controlled by my family than another male. For me, traditional marriages are a certificate to rape your daughter. I value … my freedom.”

Mehanna talked about how she relentlessly strived to reach her goals despite her family influencing her to choose a different path.

“All of my life, I was prepared by my family how to be a great housewife. I was always first in my class, so I kept postponing when I would get married. When I finished high school they arranged another marriage for me. I said no because I was still [at the] top of my class. I applied for a scholarship and I got into the University of Calgary in Canada. When I got it, I wanted to go, but my brothers stood in my way. They didn’t want me to be better than them; they were jealous.

When you accumulate knowledge, it is a source of pride. My father saw me as a last source of being proud, so he let me go [to university]. This was the turning point in my life. I went to Canada and I graduated [at the] top of my class. I received several honors in my graduation. I went back to Gaza open-minded, free spirited, and with great knowledge.

I discovered that the only person proud of me was my father. My mother always thought that marriage is the highest status I could get and have children.

That’s because that’s how it works in my society and education is not important [to her]. I got even beaten and [she was] hostile towards me. My brother even suggested [I use] my university certificate as toilet paper. It really hurt me, but I told them ‘Wait and see all the toilet papers I am going to bring you.’ I used this insult as motivation for me to pursue my higher education. I couldn’t get a Master’s Degree in Gaza because according to the International University Council, a Master’s Degree from any Palestinian university is equivalent to a Bachelor’s from abroad. My only hope was to pursue my Master’s abroad. I had to put my dream [on] hold because I didn’t have enough resources. I kept applying for scholarships.”

Visas and travel permissions are given sparingly, and thousands of people get denied every single day. Mehanna’s case was different.

“I applied to a Scottish University in Scotland. I had to abort this attempt because I couldn’t move from Gaza because it was under siege and the borders were closed. I applied again to the School of Oriental and African Studies at University of London and I got a full-tuition scholarship, but I couldn’t raise enough funds for the living expenses and the health insurance, so I had to decline the scholarship. I applied [a third time] in 2016. I was awarded the Winston Fellowship to the Summer Peace-Building Institute [at EMU]; there, I got interested in the CJP program. I still didn’t have enough resources, so I started by being a part-time student.

“In 2018, I was awarded the Daughters for Life scholarship as a full-time student at EMU. Now I am working hard towards achieving my dream.”

As a woman coming from a possessive and extremely g e n d e r – d i s c r i m i n a t o r y society, Mehanna was able to accomplish a lot. She started talking about dreams and visions for the future, saying, “My biggest dream for me … is to contribute to the peace and justice in Palestine and other conflict regions. I lived in conflict all of my life and I never thought of the next day. The next day was never promised to me. My wildest dream was to become educated and independent.

“All of my life, I fought for … my rights. I dream for people in Gaza to feel safe just like I feel safe at EMU. Sometime I feel guilty because I am safe and my family isn’t. The conflict is still prevailing while I am studying here. I wish for my family and community in Gaza to be safe and I wish for peace in my region. I wish there was an end to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict and we all lived in peace. I am like anyone else in Gaza. We never know if we can make it to the next day or not. We live day by day, fearing that something will happen to us.”

In the end, Mehanna talked about her message to the women transcending the boundaries of the Middle East, saying, “Never doubt yourself. Never doubt that you are enough. Never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your dreams. Keep fighting for your life, freedom and education. And never give up.”

Mehanna is not only a strong woman but also pleasant to be around. Despite her many challenges and the fact that she doesn’t know whether she or her family will make it in Gaza, she is still full of life. She will speak her mind despite the complexities that any topic may offer.