Alon was critically wounded while serving mandatory duty, yet made the decision to continue studying no matter what. With incredible support from the faculty and staff at the Fleishman Faculty of Engineering and the University as a whole, Alon was able to succeed in his studies.

Noa grew up in the north of Israel, in the periphery, to parents who immigrated from Ethiopia. When she applied for university, she noted her Ethiopian heritage and hometown in the periphery and was then contacted by TAU’s Student Success Center. Through Admas (supported by the Goodman Fellowship Program), she receives financial aid and personalized academic support . When they provided her with a scholarship, she didn’t fully realize how important that support would be. But today she can say that without the financial help, she simply wouldn’t be able to study in Tel Aviv.

Kochava always loved learning, but for many years she didn’t believe that she would be part of the academic world. She grew up in Jerusalem in challenging family circumstances. At age 10, social services placed her in Israel’s boarding school system which houses youth who need a safe place to live. At 14, a friend’s family adopted her, providing her with vital support through her high school years. “I used to doubt that I would even graduate high school let alone enter university, either because I wouldn’t be able to afford it or wouldn’t be qualified.”

Nerya is a medical student, a wife, and the mother of two young children. She has always dreamed of becoming a physician, yet as a student in an ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) high school, Nerya never imagined that medical school could become a reality. Over time, she realized that becoming a physician was not only a personal aspiration but also an opportunity to break barriers and inspire other women in the Haredi community. Receiving a scholarship has given her family genuine relief. More than financial assistance, donor support is an investment in Nerya’s future as a physician and in her ability to care for patients while serving as a role model for other women who dare to dream beyond the boundaries they have been told to accept.

Raz, a 27-year-old Economics and Accounting major, served 300 days of mandatory duty all while being a full-time student. He was mentally and emotionally exhausted and somehow supposed to focus on math and statistics. Then the Student Success Center entered the picture. An educational counsellor reached out and refused to give up on him. Thanks to that support, today, Raz is an outstanding student. He also received a scholarship that helps with rent.

Weeam is from Arraba in the north of Israel and is the third oldest of five brothers and sisters. Her scholarship has been a life-changer. When Weeam lost her job, her mother had been in the hospital for six months and her father couldn’t work. Financial support enabled her to keep going and continue her studies. She currently volunteers at a children’s oncology ward and plans to apply to medical school.