Before an audience of well-wishers that including four of the refugee students whose lives have been directly affected by her philanthropic work, Dr. Scott Sprenger, President of AUR, described Ms. Jebreal’s influence and relationship with the university; “It was Rula’s vision and determination to help refugee students that led directly to the establishment, in 2015, of the Rula Jebreal Scholarship Fund, a fund explicitly designed to enable young refugees from conflict-torn countries worldwide to rebuild their lives, and, in turn, help rebuild their communities.
Dr. Sprenger went on to state “The American University of Rome's Presidential Medal is awarded to individuals who have made an extraordinary impact on the lives of students of the university. Ms. Rula Jebreal is the first contemporary recipient of this award, and it is presented in honor, and with thanks, for the leadership and resolve she has shown in enabling refugee students to reconstruct their lives.”
On accepting the award, Ms. Jebreal described the life-changing effects that scholarships can have, from personal experience;
“I would be remiss,” she said, “not to voice my eternal gratitude to this country, my country, Italy. In 1993, as an orphan in Jerusalem, I was awarded a scholarship by the Italian government – and a decade later, my citizenship. Today, I stand before you as someone who, in her youth, benefitted from this magnificent opportunity and generosity and who is now committed to bringing this same opportunity to others in need.”