Inspired by Survival, Alon Kaminer Graduates in Engineering with Honors at Tel Aviv University
Alon Kaminer, who was critically wounded during the Iron Swords War, completed his engineering degree at Tel Aviv University with honors to the sound of the song “I Will Survive.”
About 1,500 people stood yesterday in the Smolarz Auditorium at the Tel Aviv University Faculty of Engineering’s graduation ceremony and applauded for minutes on end for Alon Kaminer, who was critically wounded during the Iron Swords War and completed his engineering studies with honors. Kaminer underwent a complex rehabilitation process in Israel and the United States, all while never stopping his studies for a moment.
He described the journey he has gone through since being badly wounded in the war: “Right after the injury, and in a completely conscious way, I made a decision that whatever happens, I would keep moving forward and not stop, even though I did not fully understand the implications of that. I even remember a friend telling me in the hospital that they had canceled my studies so I would not have to pay for nothing, and that was still during a period when I could not move at all, and I told him that under no circumstances did I agree, and that he should ask immediately to cancel the cancellation, and that is indeed what happened. In fact, even after the severe injury I did not stop studying for a single moment, I did it both in intensive care and in the United States while I was in the rehabilitation process and fitting prosthetics.”
According to him, “I proved to myself, and I hope to others as well, that where there is a will there is a way. A will as hard as steel, combined with a flexible mind, one that adapts to changes. A huge thank you goes to the School of Industrial Engineering and Management at Tel Aviv University and to all the lecturers and administrative staff. Without you I would not have succeeded. This is not an opinion, it is a fact! Thank you for believing in me and supporting me. I also want to mention here the other wounded people besides me, my reservist brothers and sisters, and those who gave everything in the war and became bereaved families, do not stop believing for a moment. And yes, if you want it, the sky is the limit.”
The dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Noam Eliaez, summed up, “Alon’s story of heroism is especially moving. Alon is an inspiration to all of us, a person who chose hope instead of despair. The fact that he is completing his studies in industrial engineering and management, and with honors, is proof of his extraordinary spirit, determination and willpower.”
