“After returning from the US, I realized how capable I was. That led me to set the most important goal for the coming year: to achieve the highest grade in Tawjihi,” said Hala Jamous '22. Since starting high school, Hala's goal had been to achieve a high score on the national General Secondary Education Certificate Examination, the "Tawjihi", which are the national high school exit examinations. This year, she graduated with an impressive 99.3% average on the Tawjihi, ranking first in the entire country among thousands of other seniors in the literature stream.

Securing a place among the top ten scores in the national Tawjihi examination means receiving a full scholarship for college in Palestine. Not only did Hala rank in the top ten, but she also secured the top spot in the nation, paving the way to her dream university.

Hala's dream of studying International Relations at Al-Najah University, one of the top universities in the West Bank, can finally come true. Hala said, “I want to study International Relations because my experience with people from the United States and from all over the world throughout my exchange. I decided to pursue a career that would make international connections my job.”

High school students in Palestine typically begin preparing for the Tawjihi examinations in their freshman year. Hala’s friends and parents were concerned that her exchange year might put her behind her classmates in Palestine, but they never doubted her abilities. They supported her throughout high school and her exchange year in the US. “My exchange year helped me understand what I want in life and what I want to achieve in the coming years,” said Hala after returning from the United States two years ago. She referred to her plan to ace her Tawjihi exams and pursue a degree in international relations.

During her exchange year in Wisconsin, Hala was often asked questions and engaged in discussions about Palestine with American students. She enjoyed sharing her culture and making international friends, which is why she decided that this is what she wants to do for the rest of her life. Hala said, “I want to connect the world together.”

“The moment I received my score was indescribable. I got the highest score in Palestine. Flashbacks from my exchange year and the nights spent preparing for this flooded my mind as tears welled up in my eyes,” Hala said when asked about her feelings on the day the Tawjihi results were announced. On that day, Hala woke up very early, unable to go back to sleep due to a mix of stress, hope, and excitement. She counted down the minutes until 8:45 AM when everyone gathered in front of the TV, eagerly awaiting the announcement of the top 10 students in the Tawjihi exams. Hala and her family sat together, anxiously watching until the government’s official announcement came on. Emotions ran high as they heard her name announced on TV as the #1 top student in Palestine.

Hala was contacted by Fajer TV, a local media station, for an interview to talk about her Tawjihi experience and her future aspirations.

Hala's dream of achieving a high score in Tawjihi had always been her motivation to keep going. Now that she has achieved this goal, she realizes that nothing is impossible. She believes that experiencing new things and facing challenges can only make you a better person and a stronger competitor. Hala said, “Thinking about my Tawjihi score now makes me want to encourage young people to achieve their goals, experience new things, and face all challenges.”

Hala Jamous (YES 2021-2022, West Bank, placed by AFS-USA in Wauwatosa, WI)