The brothers, a current Elon student and alumnus, were featured in a profile for The Assembly.
Elon University student Rony Dahdal ’26, and his brother, alumnus Rafi Dahdal ’24 G’24 were highlighted in a The Assembly article chronicling their family’s journey from war-torn Syria to North Carolina in search of educational opportunity.
The story, “In Search of Lost Education,” details how the Dahdal family’s commitment to learning endured despite the dangers of civil war and the challenges of rebuilding their lives in the United States.
After fleeing Damascus in 2012 amid escalating violence, the Dahdal family settled in North Carolina, where education remained central to their long-term goals. Rafi Dahdal is an Elon graduate through the Accelerated 3+1 Dual Degree Program in business administration and business analytics. He has gone on to serve as a Youth Trustee for the university.
At Elon, Rony Dahdal has distinguished himself as a Lumen Scholar and Goldwater Scholar, conducting innovative research using LiDAR technology to explore noninvasive ways to detect vital signs — work aimed at improving health outcomes through emerging technologies.
“I felt so encouraged to continue research because I’ve seen my parents value higher education,” said Rony. “It was very hard to deal with as a little kid, but I look back on it now, and I’m grateful.”
