DEARBORN — The Lebanese American Heritage Club of Dearborn held its 21st annual Arab American Scholarship Foundation Dinner on Friday, May 8 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dearborn, awarding scholarships to 55 local students.

The Arab American News Publisher Osama Siblani, C, accepts an award from Lebanese American Heritage Club leaders Mohamed Jaber, L, Suehaila Amen, Ali Jawad, Allie Berri and Sam Salamey. PHOTO: Nick Meyer/TAAN

The recipients, who ranged from the high school level to graduate students, each received awards of $1,000 to directly assist them in their academic pursuits. In total, the club has given over $1,000,000 in scholarships to students in the program’s 21 years.

Ghattas Sleiman relayed a message from his brother, Lebanese president Michael Sleiman, at a video shown during the dinner.

“The president sends his best wishes to you,” Ghattas Sleiman said. “You are our future and our hope for a better and more prosperous society.”

The crowd was wowed by a performance from Julian Pavone, a 4-year-old traditional drumming prodigy who has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey and Maury Povich shows and was even offered a contract to be a member of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers’ drumline at 15 months of age.

Other award winners included Turkia Awada Mullin for the LAHC’s Excellence and Great Achievements Award; Abdulrahman El Sayed for the Young Leadership Award; and Osama Siblani for the Award for Excellence and Great Community Service in recognition of The Arab American News’ upcoming 25th anniversary.

Awada Mullin helped create the TURBO (Transforming Underdeveloped Residential and Business Opportunities Program) to help bring new developments and property improvements to Wayne County, with more than $400 million in projects approved and more than 2,500 jobs created in the county.

El Sayed is a third year student at the University of Michigan Medical School and School of Public Health who was awarded the prestigious Rhodes scholarship in the fall of 2008 to study Global Health Sciences and Public Health at England’s University of Oxford.

Siblani thanked his staff and his wife Rajaa for their support and had a message for the crowd.

“We have proven that it is not despite our heritage that we can succeed but because of our heritage that we can succeed.”

Eighteen year old Fordson High School student Muhamad Chbib was one of the 55 scholarship winners to attend the dinner. He applied for the scholarship after hearing about it from a counselor and was ecstatic to receive the assistance.

“It’s so nice, I swear all the sponsors here are really nice people; even the bronze sponsors’ contributions mean a lot,” he said.

Chbib plans to attend Wayne State University seeking a degree in biochemistry with a focus on research pathology.

“The best investment we can make is in the education of our children,” he said.