Determined to Learn: IIE Odyssey Scholarship Graduates Reflect How Education Can Transform Adversity into Opportunity | IIE

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• Institute of International Education

On June 15, the Institute of International Education (IIE) hosted its inaugural virtual graduation of IIE Odyssey Scholars, coinciding with the program’s five-year anniversary. Since its founding, the Odyssey Scholarship has supported more than 200 students displaced from 22 countries, enabling them to pursue higher education and the knowledge, skills, and networks needed to shape their futures and contribute to their communities.

Each Odyssey Scholar’s journey reflects a broader global reality: for young people, displacement severs access to educational systems and closes off opportunities for personal, academic, and professional advancement. For Odyssey Scholarship recipients Parisa Fadayee, Mark Ubur, Mary Paula, and Shami Cedric, these global trends are deeply personal and serve as a call to action.

Originally from Afghanistan, Parisa Fadayee earned a Master of Education degree from the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh.

For Parisa Fadayee, who graduated in May 2025 from Asian University for Women (AUW), education shaped her future and her sense of purpose. “As an Afghan woman, earning a degree is much more than an academic achievement—it is an act of resilience and hope.”

As an Afghan woman, earning a degree is much more than an academic achievement—it is an act of resilience and hope.”

— Parisa Fadayee

As an Afghan woman, earning a degree is much more than an academic achievement—it is an act of resilience and hope.”

— Parisa Fadayee

She now supports teacher training in the Rohingya refugee camps through a program implemented by AUW and UNICEF, helping educators better serve displaced children. “When teachers are equipped with the right skills and knowledge, they can positively influence the lives of hundreds of students.”

Originally from South Sudan, Mark Ubur earned a Master of Project Management degree at Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Kenya.

Mark Ubur, who earned a master’s degree in project planning and management from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, describes his degree as both a personal milestone and a foundation for future impact.

I can envision a society where I can use my knowledge and skills to promote peaceful co-existence… and solve social problems affecting the community.”

— Mark Ubur

I can envision a society where I can use my knowledge and skills to promote peaceful co-existence… and solve social problems affecting the community.”

“My degree is evidence that I have advanced knowledge and skills that I can use to support myself and my family,” he said. “I can envision a society where I can use my knowledge and skills to promote peaceful co-existence and solve social problems affecting the community.”

Originally from Myanmar, Mary Paula earned a master’s at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand.

Mary Paula’s path from Myanmar reflects similar resilience. After earning her master’s degree, she continues to focus on creating positive change. “Earning a degree is deeply important to me… it allows me to contribute meaningfully to my community,” she said. “Meaningful achievements require sacrifice, persistence, and dedication… even small efforts can contribute to lasting change.”

Meaningful achievements require sacrifice, persistence, and dedication… even small efforts can contribute to lasting change.”

— Mary Paula

Meaningful achievements require sacrifice, persistence, and dedication… even small efforts can contribute to lasting change.”

— Mary Paula

Shami Cedric, a recent graduate from the Democratic Republic of Congo, reflected on how the Odyssey Scholarship helped him realize his academic aspirations. While he successfully relocated and gained admission to Addis Ababa University, Shami was unsure how he would manage to pay his school fees. Then he learned that he had been selected to receive an IIE Odyssey Scholarship, which covers all educational and living expenses.

“The Odyssey Scholarship… reminded me that there are people and organizations that truly believe in students like me and want to see us succeed. It pushed me to work even harder and to continue striving toward my goals.”

Drawing on both his academic training in economics and his lived experiences in the DRC, Shami deepened his understanding of the complex forces driving unemployment, poverty, and development across Africa. Now equipped with a bachelor’s degree, Shami says, “I want to use both my education and experiences to help develop practical solutions for communities facing economic and social challenges.”

I want to use my education to contribute to solutions that create opportunities for young people and help communities grow sustainably.”

— Shami Cedric

Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cedric earned a bachelor’s in economics from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia.

I want to use my education to contribute to solutions that create opportunities for young people and help communities grow sustainably.”

— Shami Cedric

Although from different regions, Parisa, Mark, Mary, and Shami demonstrate the multiplier effect of education; it becomes a platform for action, enabling graduates to contribute to their communities and shape self-reliant, resilient futures.

Less than 10% of displaced youth have the opportunity to participate in higher education programs. In the face of protracted crises around the world, an estimated one in every 70 people has fled their homes in search of safety and stability. IIE created the Odyssey Scholarship to formalize its 100+-year legacy of supporting talented students uprooted by catastrophic events. IIE leverages its international network of offices and contacts across Africa, the Americas, and Asia to identify high-performing nominees. Recipients benefit from a full-tuition scholarship, personal and career support services, and stipends to cover their housing and other school-related expenses.

Through the generous support of donors, IIE has issued more than 2,300 scholarships, fellowships, and grants to displaced students, scholars, and artists through its groundbreaking initiatives such as the Odyssey Scholarship, Artist Protection Fund, and Scholar Rescue Fund.

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