With several American universities boasting large Lebanese American populations in recent years, the need for an organization to connect them quickly became apparent.

Lebanese Collegiate Network spokesman Rami Haddad, right, with acting Consul General of Lebanon in Detroit Bashir Tawk and other Lebanese professionals and students during a recent networking event put together by LCN and the Lebanese American Heritage Club.

The Lebanese Collegiate Network (LCN) stepped in to fill that role in summer 2007 with the goal of serving Lebanese students, organizations/clubs, and alumni at campuses across the country.
Through various events like professional mixers, fundraisers, and visits from guest speakers, the non-religious, non-political, and non-profit organization remains active in providing opportunities to its members.

Chapters at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Oakland University are among the most active in Michigan, and plans for official clubs at Wayne State University and UM-Dearborn are also in the works.

National Public Relations Director Rami Haddad of Oakland University talked about the importance of the LCN’s events.

“Alumni members and young Lebanese American professionals attend LCN mixers and fundraisers, which are planned throughout the year in different locations, including Michigan, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Boston, Arizona and Texas,” he said.

“These efforts are geared towards creating a sustainable alumni base to help our professional and student membership further their careers.”

Recently, the LCN held a CIA career info session on February 24 in Washington, D.C. They also held the first LCN and Lebanese American Heritage Club joint professional mixer event in Michigan on February 4 in Royal Oak.

Now, the group is gearing up for its 3rd Annual LCN Convention at the University of California-Santa Barabra from March 26-28.

The convention will incorporate mixers, workshops, and an awards dinner.

Haddad talked about the importance of the convention.

“For the third year in a row the LCN convention will bring together university-level Lebanese students and young professionals from all over the United States and introduce them to the professional world of LCN teamwork, transparency and the non-discriminatory system we have. That’s the importance of the LCN annual convention.”

Haddad said he was excited to see the convention come to Oakland University in Michigan in 2011.

The LCN also is collaborating on various activities with nonprofit organizations such as the LA Cedars Rotary, Lebanon Mountain Trail, National Arab American Professionals, LebNET, House of Lebanon, Lebanese American Heritage Club, and Bader-Lebanon to provide activities, scholarships and job opportunities to its membership. Past and current LCN board members have met with several organizations in Lebanon and in America to develop a strategic outreach plan for the group as well.

Registration for the convention is still open at //lebanesecollegiatenetwork.org/LCN10/Home.html.

For more information on the Lebanese Collegiate Network, visit www.myLCN.org or e-mail rhaddad@mylcn.org.