At first, I never realized the value of technical education or the significance of the major I chose, as what was essential for me was only to earn a university degree. I never thought it would be useful one day. However, in September 2013, I got a phone call from the employment office at Hisham Hijjawi College to notify me of a job interview with the director general of Saudi Readymix Concrete Company.

All thanks to God, I conducted the interview and got the chance to get an electrical technician maintenance machinery position. Out of 100 applicants, only 15 were selected for the interview. Afterward, the legwork of preparing the needed papers started, including going back and forth to Jordan in order to stamp and convert the certificates into Jordanian form so I could leave for Saudi Arabia.

After getting the work visa — I need to mention here that my friend, the electrical wiring specialist, Ribhi Abdulalziz Takruri from Nablus, was also chosen— and we were the first to be sent abroad for this job. The flight date was 4/1/2014.

Our next station was Jeddah, one of the most beautiful cities in Saudi Arabia. Wasim Halaweh, a graduate of Hisham Hijjawi College in the field of mechanics and sent abroad by the college ten years back, greeted us when we landed. Wisam's experience gave us grounds for positive feelings and confidence in the importance of education, especially technical education, which we specialized in.

  Thereupon, we went to the head office of the company, and we got an introductory tour of the factory to become familiar with the job description and the nature of the work. Then, Ribhi and I were distributed in different factories to have a fair chance to prove our skills, the capacity to work under pressure, and the ability to work within a team and get along with them.

When we started as maintenance technicians, our duties didn't just involve electrical and control panel issues; we were soon in mechanical work, making blueprints, reading catalogs, and engaging in manual work. We quickly mastered these duties within a short period, all within the three-month training period that the company guaranteed for us. Supervisors immediately recognized the high-quality performance, passion for work, and spirit of teamwork; hence, we were promoted to maintenance foremen. This promotion significantly influenced us to bear the difficult days of alienation and the scorching weather, especially on summer days, as most of the job environment was desert-like.

As maintenance formen, responsibilities and duties increase noticeably, I must do periodic inspections and maintenance. Likewise, I needed to expect the unexpected to foresee a defect before it occurred. Here, I need to give my gratitude to my doctor at Hisham Hijjawi College, as they are always there to answer my calls when I'm puzzled about something; they provide me with instructions, information, and solutions for the most difficult of obstacles. Those are Dr. Waleed Kukhun and Dr. Abdullah Bustsmi. Also, I would like to thank Dr. Amjad Alessa for providing me with the English terms I needed.

We spent several months as maintenance formen and fully mastered it, which led supervisors to promote us to a higher position. I was transferred to the factory installment branch in the western area, and I was the head manager of the construction team. I used to read the factory's civilian, mechanical, and electrical maps, follow through catalogs, and supervise the construction process. After three months of taking this position, the company was highly encouraged to promote me to a higher department, the production department. Hence, I was required to take a comprehensive course about the concrete product, the substances needed to formulate it, the right proportions, and the whole manufacturing process. After taking this course, I earned an internationally accredited diploma certificate, "Concrete Product Knowledge (CPK)."

At this moment, I'm well-trained to become the factory's general manager of production and maintenance and was positioned as the production and maintenance supervisor. From that moment onward, I began working on administrative matters; responsibilities accumulated massively, and work pressure increased because I was to administrate and supervise a whole factory with its employees, workers, and equipment. Likewise, I was the focal point between the general administration and the employees, workers, and customers. This position is considered one of the hardest, as it relies on organizing and coordinating appointments meticulously between them.

All thanks to God and then to the immense encouragement I received from family, doctors, and the work team, I get to be what I am today, and hopefully, I will resume on this path until I achieve my dreams.    

In this sense, brothers and sisters, I would like to highlight the importance of technical education and manual work, as they are the first step to success. Also, you will have to go up step by step and meet to weaponize yourself with patience and tolerance.

Don't think glory is a date you eat without making an effort…..you will not reach greatness unless you get to lick the cactus