Graduates-2026. Dheema Mohamed: former president of the Maldivian community

I am Dheema Mohamed, a 6^th-year student and former president of the Maldivian community. As I stand one step away from a lifelong dream becoming reality, I want to share my journey with you.

In 2019, I began my journey here at Grodno State Medical University as a student of the preparatory course. My journey here has been bittersweet, to say the least. The first few months were hard. Arriving in a different country with a different climate made adjusting a little bit difficult. Not being able to speak the same language felt like a barrier I could not cross. But through these past few years, Grodno has become my home away from home, where I learned to grow and created countless memories.

I have always been interested in learning new languages. Hence, I enjoyed learning the Russian language. Being able to understand and communicate in Russian has given me many opportunities at the University. One of the most significant was having the honor of serving as the President of the Maldivian Community (2023–2025) alongside a truly incredible team. Those two years taught me a lot about leadership and teamwork. My heartfelt gratitude to every member of my team for standing with me every step of the way. I couldn’t have done it without you guys.

What truly made these years worthwhile are my friends and classmates, who are like family. Since our first year, we have shared love, laughter, and knowledge. The small moments we shared became memories for a lifetime. We saw each other at our best and our worst and helped each other grow. You taught me that home is not just a place—it is the people who are with you through thick and thin.

I would not have made it through these past few years without the unwavering support of my family and friends back at home. They were always with me every step of this long, hard, and beautiful journey. Every prayer that you whispered when I didn’t even know I needed one – thank you. Thank you for your unconditional love and endless support. I wouldn’t be who I am without you.

I extend my sincere gratitude to our Dean, Vice-Deans and the Dean’s Office staff for their steadfast guidance over the past six years. I also thank them for consistently listening to our thoughts and suggestions. Their leadership and attentiveness have been deeply appreciated.

And Grodno itself – this small, calm, and beautiful city – I will miss this place. I will miss the changing seasons, the warm and beautiful sunsets. I will miss the peaceful walks through the forest. I will miss the late-night walks through the city. This place became a home I never knew I needed.

As this journey is coming to an end, I feel so many things at once. Relief that I am finally achieving my dream. Pride in how far I have come. Fear of the journey still ahead of me. But also grief. Because leaving the university means leaving childhood memories behind and stepping into adult life.

To every current student still in the middle of your journey: please don't rush it. Even the hard days—especially the hard days—are shaping you. The exhaustion, the doubt, the moments you want to quit—those are not signs of weakness. They are what will help you grow. One day, sooner than you think, you will be standing where I am now, and you will understand.

So thank you, Grodno State Medical University. Thank you for the sleepless nights and the early mornings. Thank you for the professors who believed in me before I believed in myself. Thank you for the friendships that will outlast any diploma. Thank you for the winters that taught me resilience and the springs that reminded me of hope.

I am leaving with a diploma in one hand and a heart full of Belarus in the other.