A Pasco university student who was in the midst of the Syrian Civil War six years is now set to earn his degree, a critical milestone in his ongoing pursuit of the "American Dream."

  • Ammar Mohrat, 26, among protesters in Syria in 2011
  • Mohrat escaped first to Jordan, then earned full scholarship to Saint Leo
  • Mohrat will speak at graduation April 29

Ammar Mohrat, 26, walks through Saint Leo University proudly, sporting his school's name on his hat and shirt. It’s a life that was unimaginable in 2011, while Mohrat was in the middle of the Syrian Civil War.

“When we used to go and protest in the street, you would have to say goodbye to your parents, your family, because you knew you might not come back," said Mohrat.

Protests for freedom and human rights under the Assad regime started peacefully, but things quickly escalated.

“I was working at a cyber-internet cafe, so I used to stay there almost like days and weeks, not going back home because I couldn’t because my neighborhood used to be under siege."

Mohrat risked his life protesting, and used aliases to upload videos and pictures for the world to see what was happening around him. He told us he lost more than 100 friends that year to the struggle against Assad's regime.

“A lot of friends were captured and were killed in prison, they never got out,” said Mohrat. “When we used to protest security forces, they would meet us with live bullets."

That’s when Mohrat decided to leave. He fled to Jordan but couldn’t continue his education. Eventually, he found Saint Leo University, who offered him a full scholarship.

“I had to say goodbye to my mom after midnight in the dark, and then I had to leave with help from the free Syrian army members, they helped me to break out," said Mohrat.

Mohrat has not seen his family, who also fled Syria but still live in the Middle East. He fears if he leaves he might not be allowed back into the United States. He hopes to see them again once he becomes an American Citizen.

For now, Mohrat is ready to graduate from Saint Leo. Further, he’s a member of Greek life, three honor societies, and holds three jobs.

He will be a speaker at his graduation Saturday. He plans to continue his education, pursuing his Master's in robotics and eventually settling in a big city on the west coast.

“Here they treat us equally, like everyone, they don't really look at you like ‘Oh you are from his region or you believe in this religion,'” said Mohrat. “That really shows me this is the America that I was dreaming of, this is the country I want to be a part of."