by Lisa Samin

At the age of 29, Yaniv Ziv, a dedicated policeman living in the southern town of Ofakim, decided to pursue his dream to continue his education. With a wife and baby daughter, he knew that three years of university would be very difficult. So when he heard about Atidim's Ned Goodman Pre-Engineering Program Yaniv jumped at the opportunity.

"Although this program was very demanding, I knew that after 19 months I would be a certified practical chemical engineer. I also knew that I would have an excellent chance of getting immediate employment in Israel's security industry," says Yaniv. "The tuition scholarship and living stipend allowed me to really focus on my studies and still support my family."

In October, Yaniv and his 29 classmates at the Beer Sheva Technological College will be the program's first graduating class. The graduation ceremony will be held in the presence of Major General (Res.) Oudi Adam.