Tomorrow’s Leaders Program Welcomes Record-Breaking Class

This semester, AUC’s Tomorrow’s Leaders program welcomed its largest cohort, made up of 55 students from the Middle East and North Africa, with over half of the students coming from Egypt.

A combined effort between the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and AUC, the Tomorrow’s Leaders program provides high-achieving students from the Middle East and North Africa with fully funded scholarships. Amongst other benefits, the program provides workshops and opportunities for personal and professional development. 

“The goal of the program is to produce successful leaders in the MENA region who carry liberal arts ideologies and are able to bring about positive change in the community,” said Sulaf Taha, senior director of Tomorrow's Leaders programs. 

"Everyone is highly motivated and ambitious. Everyone has goals that they're working hard to achieve."

In January 2025, the United States issued a work-stop order for all United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programs, pending review by the government. While many scholarship programs were rescinded, the Tomorrow’s Leaders program was able to continue. 

Now the only U.S. federally funded program at AUC, the Tomorrow’s Leaders program accepts students with impressive academic backgrounds and who are proficient in English from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine and Yemen. From there, the program matches students with a U.S. accredited university in the region, such as the American University of Beirut, the Lebanese American University and AUC.

To remain in the program for all four years of study, students must earn a minimum 3.0 GPA, complete an internship, maintain all necessary credits for their field of study, be engaged in cocurricular activities and participate in Tomorrow’s Leaders workshops, meetings, seminars, off-site workshops and conferences. 

The end goal is to grow strong leaders who can enter into graduate school or the workforce with skills, talents and leadership qualities. “Students report that the leadership skills  they gain through the program and also the employability skills help them land jobs after graduation,” Taha said.

Real Experiences

Of the 55 Tomorrow’s Leaders students admitted this year, 30 are from Egypt, making up 55% of the cohort: a larger amount both by number and percentage than in previous years and marking a record for the program.

Born and raised in Hurghada, Egypt, first-year Youssef Fayed has a long-term goal to revitalize educational opportunities in his home, and he sees the Tomorrow’s Leaders program as a massive step toward achieving this goal. “The acceptance email was unbelievable to receive,” Fayed said. “It is life changing to be enrolled in this program and to be able to learn and grow professionally and personally here at AUC.” 

For other students in the MENA region, the Tomorrow’s Leaders program is just as significant, as it helps them expand their horizons by providing opportunities that may not have been available in their home countries. 

"It is life changing to be enrolled in this program and to be able to learn and grow professionally and personally here at AUC."

From Yemen, Amira Turki finds that the Tomorrow’s Leaders program has opened doors she did not think were possible. “I feel like in just one month, I’ve changed a lot. My life changed. My perspective about life changed,” Turki said. “I want to take time to understand myself and to figure out what I actually want to do with all these new options and opportunities.” 

The Tomorrow’s Leaders community of upperclassmen and alumni is particularly impactful, especially for students studying away from home. “Everyone is highly motivated and ambitious. Everyone has goals  they're working hard to achieve,” said Rasheed Alkawaas, a Tomorrow’s Leaders student from Syria. “The TL lounge feels like I'm sitting at home with a bunch of friends. People are kind and supportive, which is really nice, especially since I am far from home.” 

Through the Tomorrow’s Leaders program, AUC is proud to support students who promote and exercise academic excellence.