[Music] you
[Applause]
[Applause] my story always triggers the very same
my story always triggers the very same
my story always triggers the very same question how did you achieve your dream
question how did you achieve your dream
question how did you achieve your dream in only five years do you want to know
in only five years do you want to know
in only five years do you want to know my secret then I’ll take you back to
my secret then I’ll take you back to
my secret then I’ll take you back to where my story started its 2011 I’m
where my story started its 2011 I’m
where my story started its 2011 I’m almost 17 years old i’ve already
almost 17 years old i’ve already
almost 17 years old i’ve already witnessed nine years of war and
witnessed nine years of war and
witnessed nine years of war and experience fear and all kinds of
experience fear and all kinds of
experience fear and all kinds of uncertainties but this time is different
uncertainties but this time is different
uncertainties but this time is different the dangerous closer to me and to my
the dangerous closer to me and to my
the dangerous closer to me and to my family we have to leave my country iraq
family we have to leave my country iraq
family we have to leave my country iraq i live i leave everything behind my
i live i leave everything behind my
i live i leave everything behind my family my friends my school after more
family my friends my school after more
family my friends my school after more than ten days we arrived to the
than ten days we arrived to the
than ten days we arrived to the netherlands one month later we get the
netherlands one month later we get the
netherlands one month later we get the good news we are allowed to stay legally
good news we are allowed to stay legally
good news we are allowed to stay legally in the netherlands finally we can settle
in the netherlands finally we can settle
in the netherlands finally we can settle down life I always imagined to live in
down life I always imagined to live in
down life I always imagined to live in Iraq suddenly didn’t exist anymore life
Iraq suddenly didn’t exist anymore life
Iraq suddenly didn’t exist anymore life can surprise you at any time you have to
can surprise you at any time you have to
can surprise you at any time you have to learn to expect it unexpected a few days
learn to expect it unexpected a few days
learn to expect it unexpected a few days later I’m at the train station I hear
later I’m at the train station I hear
later I’m at the train station I hear information through the speakers but I
information through the speakers but I
information through the speakers but I don’t understand what’s happening I ask
don’t understand what’s happening I ask
don’t understand what’s happening I ask people around me in English they try to
people around me in English they try to
people around me in English they try to show me things with their hands it’s not
show me things with their hands it’s not
show me things with their hands it’s not working I still don’t know what’s
working I still don’t know what’s
working I still don’t know what’s happening this annoys me I try to make
happening this annoys me I try to make
happening this annoys me I try to make myself clear
myself clear
myself clear in English it’s obvious I miss a lot of
in English it’s obvious I miss a lot of
in English it’s obvious I miss a lot of information what would you do I realized
information what would you do I realized
information what would you do I realized that the only way to move forward is to
that the only way to move forward is to
that the only way to move forward is to accept and be part of this new
accept and be part of this new
accept and be part of this new environment I chose to learn Dutch one
environment I chose to learn Dutch one
environment I chose to learn Dutch one month later I’m in the classroom with
month later I’m in the classroom with
month later I’m in the classroom with children from 12 to 18 they are still
children from 12 to 18 they are still
children from 12 to 18 they are still young they want to play and have fun
young they want to play and have fun
young they want to play and have fun they are not serious I enjoy learning
they are not serious I enjoy learning
they are not serious I enjoy learning this weird language I never heard about
this weird language I never heard about
this weird language I never heard about before I learn new words I communicate
before I learn new words I communicate
before I learn new words I communicate with people in their mother language now
with people in their mother language now
with people in their mother language now I can read signs I think that cashier
I can read signs I think that cashier
I can read signs I think that cashier dodge this feels great I take lessons
dodge this feels great I take lessons
dodge this feels great I take lessons about mathematics science Oh in Dutch I
about mathematics science Oh in Dutch I
about mathematics science Oh in Dutch I learn about the culture like who sent a
learn about the culture like who sent a
learn about the culture like who sent a class was the Queen’s day how does
class was the Queen’s day how does
class was the Queen’s day how does people celebrate Christmas what do they
people celebrate Christmas what do they
people celebrate Christmas what do they normally eat I almost forget how old I
normally eat I almost forget how old I
normally eat I almost forget how old I am and what my plans are for the future
the lesson is avoid distraction stay
the lesson is avoid distraction stay focused and pour all your attention on
focused and pour all your attention on
focused and pour all your attention on your goal six months later my teacher
your goal six months later my teacher
your goal six months later my teacher tells me it’s time to prepare for
tells me it’s time to prepare for
tells me it’s time to prepare for further education in a dark school I’m
further education in a dark school I’m
further education in a dark school I’m still dreaming of becoming a university
still dreaming of becoming a university
still dreaming of becoming a university student and doing a medical study as if
student and doing a medical study as if
student and doing a medical study as if I was on my own country but people
I was on my own country but people
I was on my own country but people around me keep telling me it’s not
around me keep telling me it’s not
around me keep telling me it’s not possible forget about it choose
possible forget about it choose
possible forget about it choose something easy where you don’t need to
something easy where you don’t need to
something easy where you don’t need to speak or write the language so perfectly
speak or write the language so perfectly
speak or write the language so perfectly this makes me miserable I know I can do
this makes me miserable I know I can do
this makes me miserable I know I can do better than this so I desperately ask
better than this so I desperately ask
better than this so I desperately ask anyone I know my friends my family’s my
anyone I know my friends my family’s my
anyone I know my friends my family’s my teachers anyone I come cross finally
teachers anyone I come cross finally
teachers anyone I come cross finally somebody tells me there is a course that
somebody tells me there is a course that
somebody tells me there is a course that can hell
can hell
can hell me now people around me are helping me
me now people around me are helping me
me now people around me are helping me my teacher accompanies me to the open
my teacher accompanies me to the open
my teacher accompanies me to the open day of the course and they tell us you
day of the course and they tell us you
day of the course and they tell us you have to take a language exam my teacher
have to take a language exam my teacher
have to take a language exam my teacher and I make plans to study for the exam
and I make plans to study for the exam
and I make plans to study for the exam yes i did it i passed the exam i’m
yes i did it i passed the exam i’m
yes i did it i passed the exam i’m officially admitted to the course i
officially admitted to the course i
officially admitted to the course i always wanted i learned to keep
always wanted i learned to keep
always wanted i learned to keep believing in myself even when others
believing in myself even when others
believing in myself even when others give me all the reasons not to if you
give me all the reasons not to if you
give me all the reasons not to if you believe what other people say or give up
believe what other people say or give up
believe what other people say or give up at the first difficult challenge you
at the first difficult challenge you
at the first difficult challenge you will not achieve anything at all keep
will not achieve anything at all keep
will not achieve anything at all keep trying as hard as you want your dream to
trying as hard as you want your dream to
trying as hard as you want your dream to come true I know it works September 2012
come true I know it works September 2012
come true I know it works September 2012 i start at suction a course for adult
i start at suction a course for adult
i start at suction a course for adult highly educated foreigners all my
highly educated foreigners all my
highly educated foreigners all my classmates are too old they are at the
classmates are too old they are at the
classmates are too old they are at the age of my parents after a while my
age of my parents after a while my
age of my parents after a while my teacher tells me you never make us
teacher tells me you never make us
teacher tells me you never make us notice you’re only 18 the youngest
notice you’re only 18 the youngest
notice you’re only 18 the youngest student here you keep up very well with
student here you keep up very well with
student here you keep up very well with the others the next step is to study
the others the next step is to study
the others the next step is to study biology and medical laboratory research
biology and medical laboratory research
biology and medical laboratory research they ask for a high school diploma which
they ask for a high school diploma which
they ask for a high school diploma which I don’t have I asked my study coach for
I don’t have I asked my study coach for
I don’t have I asked my study coach for help and she comes with another solution
help and she comes with another solution
help and she comes with another solution within three months I attend lectures
within three months I attend lectures
within three months I attend lectures with Dutch students they are at my age
with Dutch students they are at my age
with Dutch students they are at my age finally I’m at the right place with the
finally I’m at the right place with the
finally I’m at the right place with the right people this feels great biology
right people this feels great biology
right people this feels great biology and chemistry lectures are very
and chemistry lectures are very
and chemistry lectures are very interesting
interesting
interesting I bought all the exams whoa I’m very
I bought all the exams whoa I’m very
I bought all the exams whoa I’m very proud of myself and what I have
proud of myself and what I have
proud of myself and what I have accomplished so far sometimes it’s good
accomplished so far sometimes it’s good
accomplished so far sometimes it’s good to take a minute and appreciate and be
to take a minute and appreciate and be
to take a minute and appreciate and be proud of the things you achieved so far
proud of the things you achieved so far
proud of the things you achieved so far to give compliments to yourself and be
to give compliments to yourself and be
to give compliments to yourself and be satisfied that moment you take is very
satisfied that moment you take is very
satisfied that moment you take is very important to boost your self-confidence
important to boost your self-confidence
important to boost your self-confidence it gives you more energy to accept new
it gives you more energy to accept new
it gives you more energy to accept new challenges and move on one year later I
challenges and move on one year later I
challenges and move on one year later I even decide to do the fast route of
even decide to do the fast route of
even decide to do the fast route of college I do the first two years in one
college I do the first two years in one
college I do the first two years in one another you later I have to choose a
another you later I have to choose a
another you later I have to choose a major and minor within biology I keep
major and minor within biology I keep
major and minor within biology I keep looking until I find something that I
looking until I find something that I
looking until I find something that I really like and I choose for it and
really like and I choose for it and
really like and I choose for it and another year later I’m 21 years old I’m
another year later I’m 21 years old I’m
another year later I’m 21 years old I’m a part a real resource group my
a part a real resource group my
a part a real resource group my internship is going well I learn new
internship is going well I learn new
internship is going well I learn new things I improve skills and I become a
things I improve skills and I become a
things I improve skills and I become a better technician and I prepare for the
better technician and I prepare for the
better technician and I prepare for the next step a master degree in biomedical
next step a master degree in biomedical
next step a master degree in biomedical sciences at a university five years
sciences at a university five years
sciences at a university five years after my arrival to the Netherlands I’m
after my arrival to the Netherlands I’m
after my arrival to the Netherlands I’m at the place where I always dreamed of I
at the place where I always dreamed of I
at the place where I always dreamed of I reached the highest goal I once created
reached the highest goal I once created
reached the highest goal I once created for myself but this is not the end of
for myself but this is not the end of
for myself but this is not the end of the story at this moment I have new and
the story at this moment I have new and
the story at this moment I have new and even bigger dreams for the future
I didn’t do what I’ve done to please
I didn’t do what I’ve done to please others I did everything to please myself
others I did everything to please myself
others I did everything to please myself I did what I loved to do each time you
I did what I loved to do each time you
I did what I loved to do each time you get reworded you will be insured you’re
get reworded you will be insured you’re
get reworded you will be insured you’re doing it the right way follow your heart
doing it the right way follow your heart
doing it the right way follow your heart be aware of your choices choose what you
be aware of your choices choose what you
be aware of your choices choose what you love and you’ll find yourself loving
love and you’ll find yourself loving
love and you’ll find yourself loving what you’re doing and what you’re
what you’re doing and what you’re
what you’re doing and what you’re learning to do now you have my secret
learning to do now you have my secret
learning to do now you have my secret [Applause]
”
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