DEARBORN — The American Association of Yemeni Students and Professionals (AAYSP) held its sixth annual scholarship awards gala on Thursday, May 8 at Byblos Banquet Hall. 

Community leaders, students and sponsors attended the AAYSP’s 10th anniversary celebration. Through the years, AAYSP has hosted seminars, college tours and workshops to create a solid vision for students pursuing their goals. 

The organization promotes higher education and community service for the next generation of Yemeni Americans. A total of 35 students from colleges and high schools were awarded AAYSP scholarships from various sponsors.

“This scholarship event marks a time of year where we recognize outstanding community networks through our educators, teachers and students that achieved the scholarship,” said Hanan Yahya, president the AAYSP Michigan chapter. 

The ceremony was co-sponsored by the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee of Michigan (ADC-MI).  Fatina Abdrabboh, director of ADC-MI encouraged students not to wait for opportunity to come to them, but to go after it themselves.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Hanan Alhaddi, who works in global manufacturing at Ford Motor Company, told students to aim for a higher education through progress and determination.

Guest speaker Dr. Mazen Baisa, co-founder and Clinical Director of BioMed Health Solutions, said, “Wealth, education, family, health and community are five great reasons to achieve higher education.” 

Yemeni Professional Awards went to Fattum Mutahr of General Motors and real estate agent Ali Shami. The community organization of the year was awarded to American Moslem Society – Youth Committee for its empowerment of education within the community. The Community Activist Award went to William Ali and Adel Mozip.

Awards for educators of the year were awarded to Widad Luqman, kindergarten teacher at Salina Elementary School; Manal Hammoud, the Dean of Student Affairs at Universal Academy; Kaid Omar, a coach and mentor; and Ibrahim Baydoun, counselor at Edsel Ford High School.

Hafsah Abdullah, a senior at Edsel Ford High School, was nominated as Student of the Year. She obtained a cumulative GPA of 4.39 and is valedictorian of her senior class. 

“It brings one great hope and happiness to see the Yemeni community coming together to celebrate and encourage education as a community,” said scholarship recipient Aiman Almasnaah. 

“This is just the beginning of an ongoing and gradual process of the Yemeni community’s progress to higher education. This issue is very prominent in our community and we need to fight any battle necessary to overcome it and it is very vital in our path to progress,” said Yahya.