M. Sami Soughayar

CEO , Maltec SAL
Elise Soughayar Scholarship Fund

“The situation in Lebanon is critical and the needs of people in need are immense: food, medicine, hospitalization, etc.

I therefore decided to invest in a vital resource for the future of my country: its talented university youth. In memory of my mother, Mrs. Elise Soughayar, and in cooperation with ESIB, I established a fund to help students.

When I was a student, I got to know the great men behind USJ such as Father Alban de Jerfanion and others. I believe that I got to this point in my career thanks to this extremely significant educational sector. If we lose this sector, we also lose Lebanon. The Lebanese are known worldwide for their education and knowledge, and that is why I decided to contribute to this student scholarship fund.

To the youth who have no clear vision for the future but who have their lives ahead of them and all the hope that it holds, I urge you to study further. Your greatest asset is the quality of your studies. It is the key to unlock the future. The world is becoming increasingly interconnected, and the continents are becoming more unified thanks to media. My granddaughters are still studying in Lebanon. They are engineering students using hybrid learning.

Education is still good and should remain so. We must not lose hope. Once they finish their studies and get their diplomas, they will be able to find a job in Lebanon, which I hope would have changed, or they will go abroad and hope for better days.

I wanted to share this brief testimony to promote the benefits of philanthropy and to inspire potential donors to support the sacred mission of USJ. Lebanese people, here and abroad, are very generous. We must prove to them that investing money in USJ is important and that USJ stands as an anchor and a source of security.

Finally, I would like to thank and encourage all those people who wholeheartedly devote themselves to helping students. Those leaders and professors who give their all to sustain the academic level and help students in need. It is thanks to their efforts that we will be able to meet the challenge during this difficult period in our country’s history. These unsung soldiers deserve all our respect.

We are grateful to them.”