For more than two years, Hala Mohamed’s focus was survival.
In April 2023, just four days after war broke out in Sudan, Hala fled with her mother and three younger siblings. They eventually reunited with her father in Egypt, where the family lived for six months, not knowing what would come next.
Then came the miracle: the family was awarded a U.S. Diversity Visa, known as the Green Card Lottery, a highly sought-after immigration program offering permanent residency to individuals from countries with historically low U.S. immigration rates.
By late 2023, the family had settled in Iowa City and Hala was ready to resume her college education. Prior to leaving Sudan, she was a sophomore the University of Khartoum. But when she contacted her former university to request her transcripts, they were gone.
“I didn’t know how I was going to transfer to a college,” Hala, 22, said. “I didn’t have anything that showed my work in the last two years as a student.”
Saria Gassouma, program manager for Institutional Effectiveness at Kirkwood Community College and a friend of the family, encouraged her to consider Kirkwood.
“I’d never heard of community college,” Hala said. “We don’t have those in Sudan, only universities.”
But if she wanted to pursue a bachelor’s degree, she had to start somewhere. In January 2024, Hala enrolled at Kirkwood, taking Calculus I, Chemistry, and Composition I — 13 credit hours — while also working part time.
“I was terrified,” she said. “I didn’t know the education system. I hadn’t taken calculus or chemistry since 2020. I was older than most students. I worried I would be left out.”
Those fears quickly faded. Kirkwood’s faculty were warm and supportive. So were her classmates.
Less than two weeks into the term, chemistry professor Ted Weiland approached Hala and some peers after class, inviting them to an LSAMP IINSPIRE meeting — with the promise of pizza.
“Having basically spent all of my life in higher education, I understand the importance of free food,” Ted joked.
Hala went for the pizza but left with a purpose.
The LSAMP IINSPIRE program, a regional alliance funded by the National Science Foundation, aims to increase the number of students in STEM fields. Through the program, Hala built connections with peers and faculty, explored research opportunities, and attended the annual LSAMP IINSPIRE conference at Iowa State University in February 2024.
“I met all of these amazing people doing amazing things I thought only Ph.D. students do,” she said.
Motivated, Hala applied to six summer research internships. With Ted’s help, she connected with Dr. Maureen Tang at Drexel University, who offered her a spot in her summer research program. Professor Tang holds a Ph.D. in chemical and biological engineering.
Hala moved to Philadelphia in July to begin eight weeks of paid research.
“On July 1, 2023, I was depressed. I was stuck in Egypt, not knowing what my future looked like,” she said. “A year later, I was doing research I never imagined possible. I found out, through Kirkwood, that the world has so many opportunities I can try and do.”
After her internship, Hala returned to Kirkwood for the fall semester. She became a learning assistant in the Learning Commons, served as president of the STEM Club, and began the process of transferring to a 4-year university, setting her sights on schools like Stanford and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
Not everyone believed in her dream. One acquaintance said she should apply but forget it. Another said not to bother. A third warned her that her résumé couldn’t compete.
They weren’t entirely wrong. But they weren’t entirely right.
What Hala had was grit and drive, plus the full support of Kirkwood’s Math and Science faculty and TRIO Student Support Services. TRIO is a federally funded program that provides eligible students with additional resources for success in college.
Morgan Bear, a TRIO advisor, helped Hala coordinate application materials and polish her résumé. Morgan also created a detailed calendar to help her meet deadlines.
“I’ve never helped a student apply to an Ivy League school before,” Morgam said. “This was new for me, too.”
Letters of recommendation came from Ted, physics professor Mick Arnett, and Maureen Tang at Drexel. With all of her applications submitted by early 2025, all Hala could do was wait.
The first response was a no. So was the second.
Hala was in her Differential Equations class when she received an email from MIT. She packed up her things, stepped into the hallway, and opened the message.
Accepted. With a full scholarship to study chemical engineering.
“I started ugly crying,” she said. “I ran with my laptop to Ted’s office, but he wasn’t there. I called my sister — she was in class.”
Hala’s sister Lama, also a Kirkwood student, left class early to celebrate with her.
Morgan still has Hala’s email saved, subject line: I GOT IN TO MIT!!!!!
“Hala doesn’t take no for an answer,” Morgan said. “She was already a hard worker, but everything she’s been through just fueled her more.”
Hala knows that had her university in Sudan retained her transcripts, or had her family stayed in Egypt, her story would be different.
“I’m 100% sure now that if I went straight to a 4-year university, I would not be where I am today,” she said. “Kirkwood believed in me. Kirkwood gave me opportunities and taught me how to use them.”
“All I did was show her the door, maybe crack it a little,” Ted said. “She walked right through.”
Hala moves to Cambridge, Massachusetts, this month. Classes begin Sept. 2. Her only regret is not graduating from Kirkwood first, but she’ll still see a Mohamed in a blue gown. Lama, 20, will graduate from Kirkwood in 2026.
“I’m eternally grateful for Kirkwood,” Hala said. “For TRIO, LSAMP, Ted, Mick, and the nontraditional student in my first class whose presence made me feel like I belonged. It didn’t matter that I was older. I was there to learn, just like everyone else.”