Ahmad Yaser Alnajjar with family in Kansas.

Ahmad Yaser Alnajjar, 22, a California resident, decided he wanted to move out of state for his undergraduate degree in political science, so he moved to Kansas, where he attended Kansas State University. 

“I did it because I wanted to experience life outside of home,” Alnajjar said. “There’s no way I was going to learn how to live by myself and experience the real word just by staying at home. I think it’s important that if you want to grasp life and face the real world, you need to throw yourself out there.”

Alnajjar said he was a little nervous at first, being one of few Arab Americans on campus, but he decided to embrace his heritage. During a time when Islamophobia reached a fever pitch across the nation, Alnajjar wanted to make a lasting impression on his peers.

“Be proud of your heritage, have respect for others and show them what the media doesn’t show you,” he said. ” In Kansas I told everyone I was Arab and Muslim; and for most people, I was their first Muslim friend. That’s huge because in order to shed light on this political spectrum, we need to educate people. They need to know someone who’s Arab and Muslim to gain that perspective.”

Along the way, Alnajjar also picked up a minor in journalism. Last summer, he landed an internship at The AANews. He spent his entire summer in Dearborn, getting acquainted with the community. 

“The internship was a huge impact on my life, both professionally and socially,” he said. “I got to experience a really wonderful community. I loved everyone I worked with. If that was the type of professional environment in publication and broadcast environments, then I’d love a job in the field.”

Alnajjar’s graduation day was a momentous occasion for his family. He said his relatives all flew in to Kansas to watch him walk across the stage. He is the first in his family to graduate from college. 

“It’s wonderful. They were so happy for me,” he said. “I was plastered by my family with compliments. My dad told me, ‘You lifted our heads up. You are our first son to graduate from college and you made a strong impact on our family name.’ And that means a lot.”

Alnajjar is currently applying to work at a law firm in California. He said he wants to take time to decide whether he wants to resume his education by going to law school or if he’d like to concentrate on his hobbies– comedy and screenplay writing. 

“I really love comedy and film, so one thing I would like to pursue is improve my writing and do independent short films so I can improve as a filmmaker, comedian and writer,” Alnajjar said. “I’m going to be staying in California; and when I’m not working, I will be focusing on my hobbies that will hopefully take me to my career.”