Help Me Finish My Higher Education in the US

Dear friends, peers, and caring individuals,

I'm Mohammed Galal, but most people know me as Galal. I won the right to be called that in family gatherings too; it was settled over a chess game with my dad, the first Galal. So it’s official: you can call me Galal.

Anyways, I’m from Egypt, and I study computer science and film-making in Lake Forest College in Illinois, but my education is currently impending, which is why I’m reaching out to you with a story of mine, asking for your help is the main reason, but to also get it off of my chest. I would really appreciate it if you took 3 to 5 minutes of your time to read it.

I’m away from my college, and the US, for the semester for academic reasons that I’m going to demonstrate, and my readmission is conditional on my financial ability to clear a full amount of a $5,200 outstanding debt I have with my college so far. Please note that neither I nor my family have the financial means to cover this debt, which is why I’m turning to my friends and network for your support.

I went to a specialized STEM high school in Egypt. But before finishing my diploma there, I was amongst 9 students from all over the country who won a scholarship to study International Baccalaureate high school diploma in one of the United World Colleges. After UWC, I won other scholarships to pursue my higher education in the US. In my college scholarship letter, it was estimated that I would need to pay $500 per semester, which I thought was very manageable given that I was eligible for a work-study on campus. However, it turned out to be much more expensive than was initially stated in my scholarship letter. These additional costs, sometimes resulting from unforeseen circumstances, added up to the debt I now have to pay off.

I started attending Lake Forest College in January 2022, and I spent three semesters studying there. After the first semester, my GPA was 3.1, but by the end of the third, my semester GPA had plummeted to 0, turning my cumulative GPA to only 2.04 points. The turning point in my academic journey came during my second semester in September 2022 when a friend and I became victims of a battery case involving three of our peers. Following this incident I experienced significant challenges with my mental health which made it impossible for me to maintain good academic standing and resulted in my suspension from the college. This is the overall idea of what happened. Please allow me to take the coming space to go into the details of my devastating experience.

first semester grades

Prior to the physical assault, I was subjected to racially motivated offensive behavior; I was being mocked, cursed at, threatened with death a dozen times and subjected to monkey-chanting. The situation further escalated into my friend and I being beaten to unconsciousness by the three individuals involved when I came forward demanding an apology. I decided not to include the pictures the police took of us after the beating here, but believe me when I say it was bad. The police were called to the scene by a homeowner in Lake Forest who reported "two suspicious subjects" in their front yard, as we came to learn from police reports later on.

In the aftermath of the incident, our college conducted a hearing, which resulted in mild penalties for some of the offenders and placed me on probation. In this hearing, I heard more insensitive language on top of what had already been done and said. For example, and to quote the person who made the death threats, he said “I never called Mohammed an immigrant.” I never said that anybody called me an immigrant. Notably, it was only two out of the three offenders who were invited to the hearing as part of the incident, because the third student, an Asian American student, was considered a witness in this hearing, while the other two are white Americans. This dynamic raised questions about the handling of the case, especially that our institution is predominantly white.

A snapshot from my ER after-visit summary

Interestingly, despite their initial denials during the school hearing, two of the offenders later pleaded guilty immediately when presented in front of a Lake Forest Courthouse judge. The penalty imposed on them included community service hours, fines, and probation. However, and as the legal proceedings unfolded that day, I couldn't help but notice the irony of the situation. Because despite the gravity of our ordeal, my friend and I didn't even get to speak in the courthouse. Instead, we were just watching everything happen. The city attorney then advised my friend and I to press charges against the offenders by filing a civil lawsuit on grounds of the criminal charges, but our financial limitations prevented us from pursuing legal action. After the court hearing I was absorbed in my own attempts to understand all legal aspects of my case, reaching out to pro-bono lawyers to work with us, while struggling at the same time with the incident's impact on my mental health. It had caused me paranoia, fear, depression, insomnia and disrupted daily routines including eating, study, and work habits. I believe that I wouldn’t be asking for this much money, if any at all, had I preserved my work habits and worked for the 20 hours per week that the work-study program allows me but I couldn’t.

I attempted to seek help from college mental health counselors, but my situation required more than the bi-weekly therapy sessions the college was able to provide. This led to a point where I rarely left my room, skipped classes, failed to submit coursework, and missed exams. I was told to attend exams despite my physical and mental conditions. As results came out, I was suspended from college for failing to maintain a semester GPA that is above 1.00

Subsequently, I was diagnosed with depression and PTSD by an out-of-school psychiatrist. I submitted this documentation, along with letters from my professors who acknowledged my capabilities but recognized that my academic performance was hindered by challenging circumstances, with my appeal letter to the college. My appeal was however rejected without clear explanation, leaving me with no option but to return home and hope to be readmitted to the college after a semester of suspension.

Please note that failing this semester would also require me to pay $20,000 towards my graduation date, the amount that the Shelby Davis Scholarship program pays for UWC Alumni per semester. I am not asking for, or worrying about, this now because I know it will work out somehow. I will try to finish my degree earlier, work and do everything that’s within my powers to finish my education. Being integrated back to my community at home, it became more clear to me that I deserve this chance at an education, and I will fight for my place in the world and the impact a US college education will enable me to have professionally.

As I reflect on the journey that followed that fateful event, I find solace in knowing that life inevitably moves forward. The African-American officer who first found us on the ground was transferred to another department, and the dean of students was replaced shortly after my departure to Egypt. The students who had assaulted us found their way back into the college, and life, as it does, goes on. Through these challenging times, I've learned the power of resilience and the importance of moving forward. While I'm not asking for more than the ability to continue with my life, I also carry with me the invaluable lessons learned from this experience. I am determined to apply those lessons as I move forward on my path.

On a final note, I am including a cost break-down for you here, so you can see where your donation is going: