Resilience in Practice: DFL Scholar Raghad Zughayer Graduates with Her Master’s
Among the five exceptional DFL scholars graduating in 2024 is Raghad Zughayer from Palestine. She earned her Master’s degree in Linguistics and English Literary Studies from the prestigious University of Antwerp (UAntwerp), marking a significant milestone in her academic journey. This program choice reflects both her personal lifelong fascination with language and her belief in it as a propelling force of transformative progress. Raghad holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with a minor in Journalism, serving as the academic backdrop to her graduate studies path.
Reflecting on her year of study, after joining the Daughters for Life Foundation (DFL) in the autumn of 2023, the overarching theme of her academic voyage came to be resilience as a practice, which fortified her as she progressed through challenges, from which Raghad ultimately emerged triumphant and proud in the wake of her achievements.
Overcoming Unforeseen Trials
In an interview held this fall, Raghad was transparent about her experiences. Her time as a DFL scholar began back in September of 2023, three weeks before the outbreak of conflict following the events of October 7th of the same year.
As a Palestinian with family based in the Gaza Strip, the following sequence of events in the region played a major role in her daily life over the course of the following year even though Raghad was, herself, settled in Belgium. She shared that it was difficult to adjust to her new reality, that it was a departure from how she imagined her time abroad would be like and that her worries persisted throughout the academic year.
Supportive resources were also varied in nature, but Raghad expressed her gratitude for UAntwerp’s International Student Office, whose representatives and coordinators offered their heartfelt support and whatever resources they had at their disposal. Raghad also credited DFL for their role during her time of difficulty, especially Jacklin, the foundation’s Executive Director, who she identified as having been particularly supportive despite being outside of the university’s context and an ocean away.
Growing Fortitude
Thankfully, Raghad arrived in Belgium with some international student experience in her pocket to lean on. “Having been an international student before, I adapted quickly,” Raghad explained, describing her time as a student of UAntwerp as being a whole new level of immersion compared to prior experiences. Her previous study abroad sessions were far more brief, but through DFL, Raghad spent a full year in Antwerp, Belgium.
Knowing what to expect in some regard helped her settle more seamlessly, but even as Raghad engaged with her peers and new friends, there were times that she doubted herself, and even her ability to complete her academic studies, as a result of the pressing toll on her mental health as a result of the ongoing crisis in Gaza. In the end, however, Raghad dug deep and decisively overcame her initial doubts by reaffirming her commitment to seeing her program through, which led her to complete her academic obligations to the very best of her ability.
“[I know] I grew on a personal level because I never thought I would graduate during these circumstances. I definitely became more resilient. This was the hardest year of my life,” said Raghad, as she looked back on the hurdles she was able to leap over.
“As a perfectionist, I had to make peace with accepting that the circumstances were different than expected, and that this is the best that I could accomplish.”
Raghad pictured with fellow scholars, academic partners and directors of the Daughters for Life: Europe governing board.
Future Plans and Giving Back
Raghad has a strong spirit of giving back and seeking to enact change where it can benefit the most people. Her aspirations for the future are diverse but ingrained in a core vision of doing meaningful work that benefits the collective good.
Over the past few months, she played a role in supporting one of DFL’s newest scholars, Zena Elhout, as she transitioned from applicant to an official DFL scholar. Prior to the outbreak of conflict, Raghad also had designs to return to her previous advocacy work in Gaza, which focused on communications projects and initiatives, and she also hoped to establish programs in the region to benefit school-aged children to ensure that their educational needs can be met despite the conflict. However, these efforts are currently on hold, as a result of the continued restrictions in the region.
Her initial plans to pursue a career in the academia space have also diverted somewhat for the moment, as she is currently exploring her options, with the hope of refining her future focal area. Although Raghad has not taken academia off the table, she remains hopeful that the right fit of a possible PhD program or role will come along, intersecting with her diverse areas of interest that range between international literary analysis and post-colonial studies. After pursuing an internship in communications with a storytelling component, Raghad expressed that she sees ample potential in the communications space for herself, and that it may be an ideal starting point to work towards.
Insight from a Graduate
In her closing remarks, Raghad underlined the value of DFL as a one-of-a-kind organization. “First of all,” She began, “I would encourage women to apply to DFL specifically, because I felt I had space and people supporting me. It’s different to any other scholarship, and more personal. You get to make new friends and connections with shared backgrounds, with whom you can share a lot with. Having girls around you who are going through the same thing and who you can talk to made me feel less alone.”
Raghad continued:
“At the end, you will have learned many things. You’ll experience things that teach you about yourself. You get to know yourself better. You get to test your knowledge, skills, and your limitations. That makes it much more than just an academic scholarship.”