Kefah Mokbel, Professor of Medicine at Cardiff University School of Medicine, shared on LinkedIn:
“A reflection on a milestone from 1983…
Looking back at my Syrian Baccalaureate certificate from 1983 brings back some special memories.
That year, I was fortunate to become the first student in Syria to achieve a perfect score of 100% in the national Baccalaureate examination.
Before 1983, several outstanding students had come remarkably close to achieving full marks, but the Arabic literature examination had traditionally been the final hurdle, with even the best students losing at least one mark.
I set myself the challenge of overcoming that barrier by aiming for a perfect score in Arabic literature as well as every other subject.
What has been particularly rewarding is knowing that this achievement helped inspire many students in subsequent years to reach the same milestone.
For me, the experience was about much more than examination results. It taught me the importance of determination, attention to detail, perseverance, and challenging perceived limits – principles that have continued to guide my medical and academic career in the United Kingdom.
More than four decades later, I share this certificate with a simple message for younger generations:
Never allow what has not been achieved before to define what you believe is possible.”
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