I come from Gaza City, the occupied territories, which is a very troubled area with war going on years before I was even born. Gaza is southwest of Jerusalem and the largest city under the control of the Palestinian National Authority. Living here in Louisville, in such a beautiful city, is very hard while your family in Gaza is under fire and enduring a shortage of basic needs such as gas, power and food.

While still living in Gaza, I started with a diploma in nursing from the Baptist School of Nursing, which is a U.S. nursing school that was supported by the Baptist Convention, with teachers and books from the United States. I earned a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from Al-Quds University while I was working in Jerusalem. In 1995, I joined the University of Gaza to help develop the new nursing program. The program had a good reputation and was a great success compared to other nursing programs in Gaza.

Soon after, I was awarded the Fulbright scholarship and immigrated to the United States to complete a master's degree in nursing administration at Old Dominion University. From there I came to Kentucky and completed my doctoral program at the University of Kentucky. I've been employed as an assistant professor by the University of Louisville's School of Nursing since 2006.

When I came to the states in 1997, I came to study and did not intend to stay. As the situation in Gaza continued to deteriorate due to the war and shortage of basic needs, I decided to remain in the United States and applied for immigration change of status, based on my nursing profession.

Louisville is a vibrant city with many activities from which to choose. The area has a lot of horses, lakes, fireworks, the Kentucky Derby, art activities, peace organizations, and many attractive sites. It is surprising to learn that many well-known organizations and restaurants had their beginnings in Kentucky, with several starting right here in Louisville.

Houses in Louisville are still affordable—even in the new areas in east Louisville—compared to many other major cities. I live close to Tom Sawyer Park, which has tennis courts and an indoor activity hall. Louisville has so many wonderful parks, which is something that is not easy to find in other major cities. The parks here are close by, very organized, spacious, and have large parking lots.

There is also a lot of cultural diversity in Louisville, with many small communities made up of Pakistani, Indian and Arabian individuals, and other. I enjoy our moderate-sized community from the Middle East countries. As time and opportunity will allow, I hope to help new refugees from Iraq, as well as new students from other countries.