AAPIRC Graduation Speech 2024

By Heba Moussa

For the AAPIRC graduation convocation, the undergraduate speaker was Heba Moussa, a Palestinian Arab student graduating with a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Biotechnology and a minor in Chemistry. Heba was also an intern with AAPIRC from Fall 2022 through Spring 2024. She focused on outreach to South West Asian & North African (SWANA) students, event photography, and health programming, including AAPIRC’s weekly yoga.

Good evening, everyone,

It's wonderful to have everyone around to honor this wonderful group of graduates today. My name is Heba Moussa. I am originally Palestinian, born and raised in Deir Debwan, Palestine, and I spent my summers in Gallup, New Mexico. When I started attending the University of New Mexico I found a sense of belonging among my peers at the Asian American Pacific Islander Resource Center. These past three years haven't been a walk in the park, let me tell you. It feels like they flew by, but they were anything but easy.

Today, all the hard work, blood, sweat, and tears, paid off in the form of a 3-hour graduation ceremony not just one of the regular big ceremonies, but something a little more special. Whether it meant pulling all-nighters to finish research papers or missing out on time with loved ones to prep for exams, we've all made sacrifices to get to this moment. As we say in Arabic “نستهين كل غالي كي نحقق الحلم” which translates to “We sacrifice anything valuable to achieve the dream”.

There were plenty of ups and downs along the way. I could go on and on about the lessons I've taken from this rollercoaster ride of a journey. I might dive into how strength became my superpower, or how a blend of determination and passion fueled my personal growth, but we don’t want to go there. However, one thing I would like to talk about is the hardest thing I have experienced during my undergraduate years, especially during my senior year is knowing that my people are suffering so as my country.

I have never understood why some people are lucky enough to be born with the chances that other people did not have. For me to have this path in life, and why across the world there is a woman just like me with the same abilities and the same desires, same work ethic and love for her family who would most likely be a better student and give better speeches - only she sits in a camp and she has no voice. She worries about what her children will eat or if they will even eat at all. She worries about if she and her children will be alive in the next 24 hours or if their lives will be taken away. She worries about how to keep them safe, and if they’ll ever return home. I don’t know why this is my life and that is hers.

But what I do know is that a genocide has been going on for the past 210 days, I know that more than 40,000 of MY people were killed, and 2 MILLION of my people are displaced, meaning they have lost not only their homes, but also their families, their jobs, their schools, their cities, and a lot more.

This did not just start in October of 2023, as I have mentioned earlier. I grew up in Palestine, meaning I grew up watching all that is happening now, happen at a slower pace during my formative years. I grew up thinking it is completely normal to be stopped by a random unexpected checkpoint at 7:00 am on my way to school.  As a child, I thought all the chaos was just a regular part of life, like how you get used to the weather changing or days passing by. But as I got older and met more people from different places, I started to see that what I grew up with wasn't normal. Even now, living elsewhere, those early years continue to shape my understanding of conflict, resilience, and the enduring struggle for justice. And that also taught me that the core of who we are as Palestinians is resilient, a trait unaffected by any military occupation.

I want to dedicate the rest of my time to talk about the real reasons that make me so fortunate to be graduating with this amazing group of students. My family, friends, and mentors, who never quit supporting me during my undergraduate years.

I would thank my support system first, Mom and Dad. You've been my rock, guiding me through life's ups and downs. I know I can count on you, and you have never let me down. Thank you for believing in me, even when I found it difficult to believe in myself.

Ahmad, my little brother who everyone mistakes for being at least 5 years older than me, thank you for bringing me my favorite candy whenever you stop for gas. I can't wait to see you one day, standing proudly in your cap and gown, and receiving your degree. I have no doubt that you'll do an amazing job, especially if you follow in my footsteps.

I want to thank my entire family, whether they live here in the US or our homeland, Palestine. I also want to thank my friends for keeping me grounded whenever I felt like I was losing my way. And to the incredible instructors, doctors, and mentors who have supported me along the way, I am truly grateful.

To my fellow grads, congrats on completing four years of college despite a pandemic, and political and social instability. even though these years were some of the happiest years of our lives, these may not have been the easiest.

Last but not least, I would like to end my speech with my favorite poem by Marwan Makhoul:

"In order for me to write poetry that isn't political, I must listen to the birds. And in order to hear the birds the warplanes must be silent."

Thank you.