Bursts of laughter echoed around the entrance of Collingswood High School, where Maram Ali gathered with her group of friends a few days before their official graduation, laughing and chattering excitedly as they took turns snapping photos of each other in their caps and gowns. Maram proudly posed in her golden graduation garb, beaming with an ease that belies a remarkable life journey for a 20-year-old high school student.
The soon-to-be graduate talked about what comes next, which is entering college in the fall. In that respect, she’s not all that different from her classmates.
But unlike her fellow seniors, Maram’s road to graduation started almost 7,000 miles away in Damascus, Syria, an area which had been torn apart with violence and conflict due to the ongoing civil war. She, her parents, and siblings were left with no choice but to flee their home in 2012. They lived in Jordan for several years, before being admitted into the United States and resettled through Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden in 2016. She was 16 when she arrived to New Jersey.
Photos by Mary McCusker
Maram readily admits that the journey was not easy, but her voice rang with optimism when she recounted her first memories in the country.
“I was so excited to start school in the U.S. I remember the very first day. I didn’t know anyone, the only English word I knew was ‘hello,’ and my first class was gym. I was so lost,” she said, laughing.
“But during that class, a group of girls saw me alone and they invited me to walk with them. We had to use hand gestures. I was embarrassed because I didn’t know English, so I said no. But the next day, they invited me again. And so I did,” she beamed, “and we’ve been best friends ever since then.”
In addition to the challenges that every high school student faces — forming friendships, earning good grades — Maram faced challenges as a refugee. While Catholic Charities staff worked closely with her parents to find them housing and employment, and provide other services, Maram took on extra roles, including working four to five days a week to help out with money, and always lending a hand to help her parents watch her younger siblings.
She didn’t complain, but instead focused on the advantages of staying steadily employed throughout high school. “I always picked the night shifts because it was less busy. That way, I could bring my homework with me, learn as much English as I could, and get the rest of my homework done.”
But the long nights of studying English and working did not hold her back from joining the school’s volleyball team, making the National Honors Society, engaging in regular community service activities and volunteer work, and helping her parents and younger siblings adjust to American life.
In addition to her friends and teachers, Maram pointed to Catholic Charities staff as the people who made her journey possible.
“I don’t know where my family and I would be without them. Every step of the way, they were there for us. They helped my parents adjust, they enrolled [my siblings and me] in school, made sure we all had clothes and food and school supplies. And they took us on so many trips!” she added, noting that the field trip to Temple University was one of her favorite activities organized by Catholic Charities for young high school students. It was there, she said, that she saw the potential that young women had to get involved with the community, receive a higher education and play sports.
Shortly after the field trip, she joined the school volleyball team and started thinking ahead, seeking advice and guidance from Catholic Charities as she embraced a new challenge — one that causes headaches for even students who were born and raised in the United States — navigating the world of college applications, calculating student loans, applying for financial aid.
Ultimately, she made the decision to attend Stockton University in the fall, noting that she had a particular interest in pediatric nursing. The university had given her financial aid because of her outstanding academic achievements over the years.
“Now I’m the first person in my family to graduate high school and go to college,” she said proudly.
Maram was not bothered by the school’s modified graduation ceremony which was put in place because of concerns over health and safety. Instead, on Saturday, June 6, just a few days before her official graduation, she had only one request: a photo of her throwing her cap in the air in front of her school. After a few failed attempts, a lot of laughter and some guidance from her friends, she got her photo.
“I’m so proud of her. Maram embodies the grit and resolve her parents instilled in her. She always had a smile on her face from the moment she arrived,” said Patrick Barry, Catholic Charities’ director of immigration, refugees and migrant services. “No matter how difficult things were, she greeted them with a smile and overcame. That smile is unforgettable. It is an undying spirit of limitless optimism.”
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