DEARBORN — The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (JKCF) has announced that Henry Ford College (HFC) student Soliman Touelh (pronounced “Twee-la”) has been awarded the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.

“I was between classes at the HFC Honors Hub when I found out I was selected,” Touelh, of Dearborn Heights, said in a press release. “I was so excited and honored. I called my mom and dad, and they were excited, too. We went out that night and celebrated.”

From a pool of more than 1,600 applicants, 459 college students were selected as semifinalists. From those 459 semifinalists, 60 students or less than 8 percent were chosen. Two former winners of the scholarship were also from HFC; Diana Jomaa in 2014 and Neam Alazawi in 2011, with a handful of other HFC students chosen to be semifinalists.  

“I’m very humbled by all this. It’s a great honor,” Touelh said. “There are so many bright-minded people in the Henry Ford II Honors Program who are getting ready to graduate from the college. I hope they apply for this scholarship, too.”  

This scholarship is meant to help community college students who have excelled and shown their academic ability, leadership and service as they take the next step of their collegiate career — transferring to a four-year university. 

The scholarship aids students in a completing a bachelor’s degree at any accredited four-year university by providing up to $55,000 per year for two to three years.  

According to a press release provided by Henry Ford College, “about one-third of students starting their education at community colleges transfer to earn a bachelor’s degree. But only 16 percent actually earn that degree within six years.”

The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship provides transfer students with pivotal support to work toward achieving their bachelor’s degrees.  

“In light of the challenges that hinder many community college students from achieving their goal of earning a bachelor’s degree, our Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship makes the journey more achievable and helps to eliminate the challenge of student debt,” said JCKF Executive Director Giuseppe Basili. “The exceptional pool of talent among this year’s semifinalists from community colleges showcases the vast potential within these institutions.” 

The eldest of seven, Touelh was born in Budapest, Hungary. Immigrating to the United States when he was 5-years-old, they moved to Michigan when he was 7. His father, Ahmed, earned a graduate fellowship to pursue a doctorate in civil engineering at the University of Detroit Mercy. 

Touelh, who speaks English and Arabic, is an alumnus of Franklin High School in Livonia, where his overall GPA was 3.5. At Franklin, he was the manager of the Kite and Key School Store, where he oversaw his fellow student employees, the budget and helped implemented a new software system. 

“I’ve been interested in computers since I was a child,” he said. “One of my biggest heroes is (the late Apple Inc. co-founder) Steve Jobs, whose philosophy was to always be creative and to think outside the box. My family wanted me to go into medicine, but I’ve always been more attracted to computers and technology.” 

Touelh toured several college campuses in the Metro Detroit area alongside his father, including HFC. He met then-Honors Program Director Dr. Adam Hazlett and they discussed what the college could offer him. After talking with his family, he enrolled at HFC.

“Director Hazlett helped me understand what I might do here as a computer science major and how I could benefit the Honors Program in my own way,” he said.  

While enrolled at HFC, Touelh has been a member of the Honors Program, the HFC Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and the Mathematics Club. He is also an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow and served as president of the HFC Programming Club. This fall, he plans to transfer and work toward his bachelor’s degree in computer science at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. 

From L-R: Henry Ford College (HFC) Henry Ford II Honors Program Director Chardin Claybourne with HFC student Soliman Touelh. Touelh was awarded the prestigious Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Photo courtesy of Henry Ford College.

Several HFC instructors have had a positive impact on Touelh, including computer science instructor Kimberly Moscardelli (who is also his Honors mentor), and math instructors Sam Bazzi and Dr. Rama Chidambaram. 

“Soliman Touelh is a very caring person who enjoys learning and loves sharing what he learned with other students. He is a great team player,” Chidambaram said .

HFC Honors Program Director and the PTK advisor Chardin Claybourne has had many opportunities to work with Touelh. 

 “Soliman is one of the most ambitious students I’ve met,” he said. “It’s not surprising that he was awarded the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship; I regularly witness him in the Honors Hub studying at all hours. He’s continuing to put in the work to earn his success and applying the life lessons that will propel him toward his goals.”

He added with a laugh: “Just don’t get him started on who is the best Hip Hop artist, unless you want to have a long conversation”

Like Jobs, Touelh’s dream is to run his own computer technology company one day. 

 “It would not only give people in my field a chance to succeed, but also people from every field a chance to succeed,” he said. “Creativity comes from everywhere. People have to come together to be creative; that’s the culture I want in my own company.

“The professors at the college want to teach here,” he added. “They want you to be here, and they want you to succeed. They will do whatever they can to help you be successful. From my own experience, they all want you to be creative. These factors are why attending HFC has been such a pleasure.”

All information above provided by Henry Ford College.