Maid’s daughter beats the odds to become Dubai lecturer

Dubai, Nov 24: Shahra Jafar Ali, a housemaid’s daughter who secured a full scholarship at Murdoch University in 2013, has graduated with distinction in two majors. What is more, last week she has landed a job as a lecturer at the university.

Only three years ago, the Indian teenager despite having a brilliant academic record faced a bleak future as lack of funds threatened to cut short her education.

Shahra had won plenty of trophies and awards for sports and academics, but she, a grade 12 student then, could not think of a college life as her mother could not afford the tuition fees.

A report in XPRESS highlighting Shahra’s plight, however, changed all that. She secured a full scholarship with Murdoch University for an under-graduate course in Computer Science.

Vice Chancellor’s award

Fast-forward, Shahra is a double graduate with distinction and recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s award for academic excellence in Information Technology (IT).

“Destiny may have favoured this young girl, but nobody can take away the fact that she worked hard to get where she is today. She did not forget the huge favour bestowed on her. And she worked doubly hard to show her worth. Shahra is naturally brilliant, but I do not know of another student in the IT course who worked harder,” said Dan Adkins, Academic Director – Murdoch University Dubai and COO of Global Institute Management.

“She did not miss a day at college and would come to college at 9am and leave by 6pm. In her last year, she was learning programming, operating systems and data base and had built a solid foundation,” Atkins told XPRESS.

Shahra has now secured a full time job as a lecturer at the university.

“It is like a dream come true, I cannot express my happiness in words. Three years ago I had no direction in life. I did not know where life was going to take me. There was no money in the house, our visa status unsure. Today thanks to Murdoch University, there is a purpose in my life. I have a job and am able to support my family. That is a huge thing,” said Shahra.

“My brother has been given a scholarship and 75 per cent of his tuition fees have been taken care of. The rest I am paying. Currently I am teaching foundation students – the basics of computers. Gradually I hope to progress in my job and sponsor my mother and brothers.”

Shahra Jafar Ali with her family at the graduation ceremony