DEARBORN — Arab Women United (AWU) selected Nour Hassan for its Women in Leadership Excellence Award.

The award is an initiative created by AWU to recognize and celebrate a woman who demonstrates leadership, educational and professional excellence, community involvement,and a commitment to empowering other women. 

“Through this award, we hope to highlight women who are making meaningful contributions to their communities,” Duaa Alhalemi, AWU president, said. “And give them recognition and support to continue their work.”

AWU is a nonprofit organization devoted to empowering Arab women through culturally responsive support, inclusive education and intentional community building that is rooted in the belief that every woman deserves to feel seen, heard and valued. 

Hassan is a premed first generation college student currently in her senior year at Wayne State University and is working toward the next chapter of her education and her goal of attending graduate school. She has an associate degree in liberal arts and science, which she said was an important milestone and strengthened her drive to continue her education. 

“Being a first generation student has made my educational journey especially meaningful,” she said. “Medicine is one of my greatest passions because it allows me to combine my love for learning with my desire to help others. My experience in healthcare and volunteering in hospital settings have made that passion even stronger. As I finish my senior year, I am focused on continuing my education and building a career where the work I do can have a real impact on people’s lives.”

Hassan also said that giving back has always been a major part of her life.

“I have volunteered with Gleaners Community Food Bank, helped provide food and prepared meals for families and individuals in need throughout Detroit and supported refugee families as they adjust to a new environment,” she said. “I have also been involved with PCFR by attending events, contributing to fundraisers and supporting their work for Palestinian families and causes. Being present in my community has taught me that helping others is not always about doing something huge. Sometimes changing one person’s situation is enough to change their world. As a Palestinian American woman, I am proud to continue my education while staying connected to the people around me. I hope to take everything I gain from my education and turn it into something that can genuinely benefit others. I want to continue opening doors for myself while also helping make those doors easier to reach for the people who come after me. To me, success will never only be about how far I go. It will also be about how many people I am able to help along the way.”

The award came with a $1,000 scholarship award donated by Dr. Tareq A. Ramadan, a Jordanian American born in Dearborn and three-time alumnus of Wayne State University, where he received his Ph.D. in Anthropology. 

Ramadan has spent nearly two decades working as an educator at both Wayne State and Henry Ford College while also serving as a cultural competency consultant, a numismatist (expert on early Islamic coins and seals) and a cultural and historic preservationist. Gov. Whitmer appointed him to the Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs in January. He serves as a commissioner working to promote equity, cultural preservation and as a liaison between the Arab and Chaldean communities and the Governor’s Office while operating in primarily an advisory capacity.

“My decision to contribute the money toward the establishment of an award through Arab Women United was based on both my appreciation for the work the organization does in the community as well as the fact that women are playing major roles in every facet of communal, social, cultural, political and economic life and that their contributions should be acknowledged and celebrated,” he said. “I also firmly believe that supporting women is critical to forming a better, more equitable and inclusive future for everyone. So many of the people who have inspired and mentored me have been women over the course of my own life and so I think that providing resources for women is paramount to the collective health, well-being, and flourishing of society, more broadly.”

Ramadan said that he felt that making the contribution would help recognize the incredible work that women are doing in so many different fields and that recipients should feel appreciated and hopefully create similar opportunities down the road.

“As an academic whose own work and career has benefited from being supported by grants, awards, fellowships and scholarships, I feel that it is incumbent upon me to reciprocate and to try to create opportunities for others,” he said. “Even if the awards are small, they are reminders that what the recipients are doing is truly appreciated and that they deserve acknowledgement and support. Hopefully, they too will create similar opportunities for others.”

More information about AWU and its mission can be found on its website.