Last December, Omar Rashid ’29 was accepted to Dartmouth through the early decision process as a member of the Class of 2029. Rashid lives in the Gaza Strip with his mother and two brothers. Since May 2024, both exit points from Gaza — the Rafah crossing into Egypt and the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel — have been closed. As a result, he may not be able to travel to Dartmouth for the upcoming academic year.
Rashid is in communication with humanitarian organizations and remains on many evacuation lists. According to Rashid, Dartmouth and the offices of the U.S. senators of New Hampshire are also engaged in efforts to support his safe passage to Hanover before the fall term. The Dartmouth sat down with Rashid to discuss his experience in the war, his hope for the future and his efforts to share his story.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced?
OR: I’ve lived in wars. It’s been part of my life, but this war has been totally different from what we’ve ever experienced. I stopped thinking about escaping from this nightmare because thinking is one of the most challenging parts. The hardest part is to see my family struggling. At the same time, I have to show that I’m okay somehow and show strength so they may take me as a source of hope in these hard moments.
How do you feel like the war has impacted you?
OR: It changed my way of seeing life. We had things that we would take for granted in our life, but now each drop of water, each can of food, each pill of medicine, you have to get manually. It showed me how blissful we were before the war. I had dreams to study in the U.S. and in this war, I had to go through many struggles just to keep my dream. It changed my character and my personality. I wouldn’t say for the best at this moment because we are just trying to survive, but I’m sure it made me a really strong person who’s able to encounter any challenge in the future.
Have you or your loved ones been directly affected by the violence?
OR: It’s impossible to find anyone who hasn’t. My brother has a chronic disease, and he relies on medicine that he cannot secure right now. It’s really bad for him because he can’t live without it.
My best friend and I were applying to colleges together. We were going to the Egyptian-Palestinian borders together to get internet service to work on our applications. We were dreaming of being roommates. He evacuated to live in a tent on the beach, and he was murdered there — killed by shrapnel in his head from a bomb nearby. There have been so many losses that I can’t even count.
You have an Instagram account with 1.5 million followers where you share your life in Gaza. What made you start sharing your experiences online?
OR: Everyone is focusing on the blood and the bad side. People are talking about how Gaza is like hell on earth. I thought that my story would be inspiring for the world to hear: Gazans have dreams. I’m not alone. It’s a reality faced by a lot of students. This was the spark to start it all. I just wanted to make my voice heard by the world because I couldn’t handle it being only in my head at night.
How did you first learn about Dartmouth? What made you want to apply?
OR: I wanted to apply because the educational system here in Gaza is destroyed. There’s no future in education here. I wanted to escape from this nightmare, to help me and my family. I found that education is the perfect tool — I can recoup the years I’ve wasted in war. I’ve dedicated my days to sticking with this dream, even if the days weren’t the best days I had, even if I had to go to the Egyptian-Palestinian borders, 20 kilometers back and forth every time I wanted to work on my application and draft my essays.
Dartmouth feels like the warmest Ivy League, and it’s been a dream for me to be part of this community. I was highly engaged with it before I even got admitted. I’ve dedicated all my work and efforts just to get this chance. When I opened my decision letter, it was like the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. Immediately, I ran back home to celebrate it with my family and tell them it might be the start of the change.
If and when you are able to make it to Dartmouth, how do you picture that transition?
OR: It would be like a dream come true. I can’t even imagine it. Each time before I go to sleep, I type “Dartmouth” on Google and browse. I look at dorm tours. I look at the dining halls. I look at the courses I can take. It’s like a dream that I sleep on every day. Once I get in there, I’ll be the happiest, the most hopeful. I will have a spark that can never be turned off. I’m sure that I will enrich this community and my class. If I have to defer my acceptance to the next year, I will be really disappointed because I’ve met my class, and they are really passionate, intelligent students. Seeing them in person would be like landing on heaven. I have a lot of things I dream of, and there I can make them come true.
What kind of support do you need the most right now?
OR: I don’t want people to get disappointed because they may think their voice doesn't make a change. I’m really happy that our situation is heard and seen. Keep on the work. You are making a difference, and your voice isn’t small. It’s making a change, and it’s making people really happy here.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
