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Shady Zenaldin
Damascus, Refugees

Study: Architecture
At: University of Damascus
“ I am from Syria and I obtained a Bachelor degree in Architecture at the University in Damascus. I spend 8 hours every day at the University and in the evening I had to work for 3 hours in an office. I grew up in city Swida in a big and lovely family where I got a lot of support, encouragement and love.
I studied at the university in Damascus for free for 5 years and the life there was very fantastic! I spend the summer holiday working, doing fitness and hanging out with my friends. Unfortunately the situation became bad when the war started in Syria. I felt that I lost my future but I choose to continue my study and graduated from Damascus University in 2012. I could not finish my master exam because I was forced to leave Syria in 2013. I miss my family, my home, my friends there.
I traveled to Lebanon but the situation there was also bad and after two years I decided to come to Europe. It was a very dangerous trip, where I did more than 10 attempts to cross the sea and in every attempt I put my future in front of my eyes and tried again. Finally I arrived here and now MY FUTURE IS BACK IN MY OWN HANDS.
I hope to obtain my master in architecture and find my dream job; maybe become a famous architect, but it’s difficult because of all the procedures I’m going through and it will take a long time.
I wish to help my country to develop and I hope I can do something as an architect to help rebuilt it. ”