Memorial graduate triumphs over tragedy
Losing dad, getting struck by car doesn’t stop woman from Bangladesh
Jannatul Alam was 11,000 kilometres from home when her father died.
“When I lost my dad, it was the most shocking event for me,” she says.
Jahangir Alam died of a heart attack in the fall of
2018, a month and a half after his daughter left Dhaka, Bangladesh, to attend Memorial University in St. John’s, N.L.
It had been her lifelong goal to study abroad, meet new people and explore unfamiliar places.
Losing her dad — especially as she was adjusting to school in a new country, so far from family — was a tragic setback. Coping was a challenge. Some suggested she take the semester off and head back home to be with her family.
But despite being griefstricken, Jannatul chose not to delay her education or abandon her dream.
“I wanted to stick to it, no matter what happens,” she says.
With the help of friends, professors, and other supports at Memorial, she stuck it out.
“Even though it was difficult, I completed all my coursework, thanks to my professors and friends who helped me at that time,” she says.
“I learned to live with it.”
LUCKY TO SURVIVE
But her story of triumph over tribulation does not end there, unfortunately.
Imagine still coming to terms with the loss of a parent in a new country, thousands of kilometres from home, and then being hit by a car.
In December 2019, just days before the start of the January
2020 semester, Jannatul was struck by a vehicle while walking across a road in the busy Ropewalk Lane area of St. John’s.
Doctors said it was lucky she survived.
Incredibly, the only serious physical damage was the loss of a few teeth.
“That was the only thing, but thankfully, it's recoverable,” she says.
Again, people advised her to take a semester off and go back to Bangladesh for a while.
But just like the song says, Jannatul was knocked down but she got back up again.
She wanted none of that returning-home business.
Her focus remained unwaveringly the same — to not miss any school and to graduate as scheduled.
“I wanted to stick to it no matter what happens,” she says.
Once more, various supports at Memorial — friends, professors, the Internationalization Office, the Student Life Office, and the school’s counselling centre — offered support to get Jannatul back on her feet.
“Everyone helped me a lot to continue my coursework and cope with this mental stress that came through the two periods (of difficulty),” she says. “Ultimately I succeeded.
“Right now, when I look back, it's like, I'm glad, and I'm grateful they didn't give up on myself at the time. They were here, right?”
PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF
In October, almost two years after the accident, Jannatul heard her name called and walked across the convocation stage to receive her business degree.
It’s a 15-metre walk across the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre stage, a brief jaunt considering Jannatul’s long and turbulent journey to get there.
It felt like all the dedication and persistence paid off, she says.
“Everything was successful in one day.”
She says her father would have been thrilled with what she had accomplished.
“He was already so proud. And if he had seen me, that I graduate and everything, he would have been so proud.”
Jannatul started a new job with KPMG in St. John’s after graduating.
Earning her degree and learning from life’s experiences will no doubt set her up for success.
Her big takeaway from the setbacks she has faced: unexpected events beyond your control are inevitable, but you can decide how you feel about what is happening.
“So, my learning is that we need to stay strong and have the mentality to face what is coming,” Jannatul says, “so that when it does come, we don't become anxious, or we don't lose hope . ...
“Always be hopeful, no matter what happens, that things will get better as you go through, because those who can stick no matter what happens, are the ones that win and have the advantage.”
Steve Bartlett is senior managing editor with SaltWire Network. Named after a
2008 book he wrote, Grit and Courage is the name of his new column and podcast focused on people who have overcome adversity. Email him at steve. bartlett@saltwire.com.