( CNN ) I was finishing my studies when the war began four years ago . I had only two subjects remaining before I graduated from university with a degree in English literature . Since I was 10 years old , I have loved English and dreamed of becoming a teacher . I want to teach the younger ones , especially now , because children are the ones who will rebuild our country . They are Syria 's future , and they deserve our significant investment . Three years ago , my family was forced to flee our home near Damascus , in east Ghouta . Thankfully , we got out before chemical warfare was used there . We stayed in Syria for the next year , moving from one house to another , from one village to another . With each move , we felt no comfort , no safety . When you feel unsafe in a place that is being bombed nearly every day , you eventually must make a choice : Ours was to leave . And with only two packed bags , we did . We went to Jordan . I 've thought of returning to Syria . I want to be part of my country 's rebuilding , but sadly , I do n't expect this to happen any time soon . When we arrived in Jordan , I thought I would return soon to Syria -- in only a few weeks . We all thought so . It 's been two years . And while I still hope to go home one day , my biggest question is : `` When ? '' I want to return so that I can teach . As a child , I was inspired by my third-grade teacher , who believed children are the future and who challenged us at that young age to create a better world . I think it 's rare for a teacher to instill this so passionately in her students , but I want to try . Although I hope to follow in my teacher 's footsteps , my path for now is blocked by the uncertainty of living far from home , by a war that has driven me here , by tuition costs in Jordan that are prohibitively expensive . Being away from home presents many challenges . You feel like a stranger in a foreign place . You 're not among people who know you , or who want to know you . As a Syrian refugee , it is nearly impossible to get permission to be officially employed , and I 've no money to complete my studies . Overnight , my dreams changed . In one moment I was at home with family and friends dreaming of studying English , of becoming a schoolteacher . In the next , it all feels lost . It 's impossible to work , impossible to study . We hope to meet our needs today , not so much to fulfill our dreams tomorrow . In Syria , I was responsible to my parents , now I am responsible for them . I dreamed of being a teacher , but because my parents are old , I must try each week just to protect them , to cover their basic needs of shelter , food and medicine . I needed some way to support my family . While most Syrians are not permitted to work , we can volunteer . I found a role with the poverty-fighting organization CARE in the urban refugee center in East Amman , Jordan , where I earn a stipend doing meaningful volunteer work . I have enjoyed it so much . After working there , I have become more social , and no longer feel isolated . It 's not like sitting at home , feeling powerless , losing confidence , wondering what I can do to help my family , to help my people . Instead , I feel empowered . I recognize my potential . And , because of that , I refuse to give up on my dreams . My hope is to resettle for the short term in another country so I can continue my studies . I want to complete my education -- and reclaim my dream of teaching Syrian children . Resettling could help shape my future so that I can help shape theirs . One day , I will tell them of the crisis we faced in the Syria that I left . We must be aware of this history , and learn from it . We must empower children to speak up and then be sure that their voices are heard . Change starts with them . And it starts with us . Each person has the right to pursue an education , to meet their most basic needs , to express themselves . When those rights are stifled , so , too , is a person 's potential , her opportunities , her power to create a better world , and in my case , a better Syria . My question to the U.S. people and the international community is this : Imagine your life has been turned upside down after you lose everything in a matter of hours : What do you believe in then ? What do you cling to ? The answer , I think , is : your dreams . We all have them . Mine , for the time being , have been deferred .
Four years of war meant four years without schools and education in Syria . she was nearly done with tuberculosis when she was forced to flee her hometown near Damascus . To help Hiba and the many other displaced Syrian students , fled to CARE .