Mrs. Férial ASSHA

French and Religious Studies Instructor – USJ
Scholarship Fund

«Why support USJ? Simply because my father, my brother and I are USJ alumni. Moreover, I studied at USJ for 20 years; I hold 9 degrees. Also, it is a French-speaking University, and I am personally very Francophone and Francophile, and I could not see myself helping any other university. USJ succeeded in structuring my personality by channeling both, my emotions and my intelligence.

[…] First of all, I would like to tell the students benefiting from the scholarship that I had parents who allowed me to pursue my studies and that they have this chance to be helped pursue theirs, first to build themselves and then to rebuild a country in which they have the chance to grow.

I do not have children and I consider that helping scholarship recipients is simply giving meaning to my life; I therefore consider them my virtual children. I created 2 scholarship funds to pay tribute to my father and my mother who have given me the opportunity to study, to forge a strong and free personality; that is the reason why I created these 2 funds to pay tribute to them and thank them. It is a mission of philanthropy; what I have acquired through my studies is inner freedom, the freedom to tell ourselves that whatever the external circumstances, when we are internally free and strong, thanks to the solid education that we have acquired, we can continue to build and hope against all odds. Education and culture are the only weapons that allow us to become better and free.

I, myself, lived in France - my country of adoption - for 25 years. It has taught me many things, but when I breathe Lebanese air, though I am very Francophone and Francophile, it’s a completely different thing! Lebanon has fed me and nurtured my childhood; I was born here; this is my land, and no one can take it away from me.