DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: A Palestinian primary school teacher who grew up in a refugee camp and educates her students about non-violence won a $1 million prize for teaching excellence on Sunday, beating out 8,000 other applicants from around the world.

Hanan Al-Hroub, a primary school teacher in the West Bank city of Al-Bireh just outside Ramallah, was awarded the second annual Global Teacher Prize during a ceremony in the city of Dubai, which saw Hollywood A-listers Salma Hayek and Matthew McConaughey walked the red carpet with Bollywood stars Abishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra.

Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was on-hand to present the prize to Al-Hroub, however her name was announced by Pope Francis in a video message after he talked about the importance of education and teachers, especially for children who grow up amid war.

“I feel amazing and I still can’t believe that the Pope said my name,” Al-Hroub told The Associated Press. “For an Arab, Palestinian teacher to talk to the world today and to reach the highest peak in teaching could be an example for teachers around the world.”

She told The Associated Press that she will use the million-dollar prize money to create scholarships for students who excel in order to encourage them to choose careers in teaching.

As Al-Hroub accepted her award, Palestinians in the audience waved their country’s flag and some chanted, fists pumping in the air, “With our souls, our blood, we sacrifice for you Palestine.”

In her acceptance speech, she reiterated her mantra of “No to violence” and stressed the importance of dialogue.

Al-Hroub was among 10 finalists flown to Dubai to attend the ceremony. The nine other finalists hail from Australia, Finland, India, Japan, Kenya, Pakistan, Britain and two from the United States. Al-Hroub had them stand on stage with her to roaring applause after her speech.

Matthew McConaughey, said that he was an A-minus student and credited his parents’ work ethic as well as his favorite school teacher for his success in school.

Hayek claimed to be a bit of a daydreamer, with more naughtier moments than academic successes. She recounted how she once mounted revenge with a bucket of water on a naughty boy but wound up hitting the teacher instead. “I always paid attention,” she said, “but I didn’t study much!”