A Palestinian Woman’s Courage and Determination

The next day, September 1973, I went to Washtenaw Community College and told them that I had no high school diploma, but that I was eager to learn. They accepted me. That moment was the most valuable moment for me. 

When I entered college to pursue my goals, I was 43, a wife, mother, and grandmother of two. I only took one course the first semester just to see if I can handle it. I got a B. That encouraged me to go full time. Because of our low income I was eligible for financial aid. Because of that I worked in the college bookstore. In order to not allow my husband to criticize me, I continued to still put my family first. I still baked bread and cooked authentic Arabic meals for my family. I made time to entertain guests and keep our home life as normal as possible. 

To satisfy my families needs and my school needs, many nights I stayed up until 3 a.m. My hard work did pay off. I was on the honor list twice. My high marks allowed me to transfer to the University of Michigan. 

On my Washtenaw Community College graduation day, an African American counselor handed me my certificate and said, “Elaine, keep going.” These words gave me the confidence that he believed in me and his words stayed with me throughout my journey. I kept going until I got my undergraduate degree in psychology. 

I waited one semester before I was able to get a spot at the U of M School of Social work. I still remember a counselor telling me that this school is not the right place for me if I want to study prevention. I wished there was a school of parenting because I would have gone to that, but no such school existed. Good thing I did not listen to this counselor, because at the age of 50, I graduated with a masters in social work. 

I was discouraged at the thought of someone hiring me at the age of 50 and with a very heavy accent.  Luckily after seven months I was hired in with the Arab American communities. I was the first Arab social worker who had a MSW in schools because I visited about 15 schools in the Dearborn area dealing with Arab students and families.