A Few HFCC Foundation Scholarship Winners
Gladys Dabaja
A U.S. Air Force veteran, mother and HFCC graduate, Gladys Dabaja is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Pharmacy Program at Wayne State University.
After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Gladys returned to complete her education at HFCC while raising a family. She joined the Honors Program, where she received a scholarship to study Pharmaceuticals. Currently, Gladys is enrolled in the Doctor of Pharmacy Program at Wayne State University and will be starting hospital rotations with the hope of graduating in May 2006.
When asked about her time at HFCC, Gladys replied, “I owe a lot to the Honors Program and the College. My experience at HFCC has helped me a great deal. Being part of the Henry Ford II Honors Program has opened so many doors for me.”
Clinton McDade
“HFCC offered me a way to make my dream come true..
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a nurse and help people with health problems. However, even with a great capacity and desire for learning, I didn’t have all the money necessary to attend college. After working many years as a TV repairman, I never lost my desire to achieve my childhood dream of becoming a nurse so I applied for a scholarship at Henry Ford Community College. I was successful in receiving one and got the boost I needed to begin to do what I have always wanted.
“HFCC offered me a way to make my dream come true now that I am now enrolled in its Nursing Program. I know that the investment will enable me to change my life and I promise to pay it back in many ways in the future.”
Lidiane Souza
“I really enjoyed being part of the Honors Program at HFCC and am very thankful for it.”
An Honors Program and U of M Computer Science graduate, Lidiane Souza is now a Microsoft Software Design Engineer.
Lidiane, a native of Brazil, attended HFCC’s Henry Ford II Honors Program where she received a scholarship and majored in computer information systems. After completing her first two years of study, she transferred to the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and earned a degree in Computer Science. Upon graduation she received job offers from Apple Computers and Microsoft, and ultimately accepted a position as a Software Design Engineer on the Excel Team, with her sights are set on rising to the level of Program Manager.
Greg Ward
“My earning potential has greatly increased. I am now better prepared for the High-tech jobs of the 21st Century. Thank you HFCC!”
Greg, a 44-year-old husband and father of two children who had worked 10 years as a professional photographer, decided a couple of years ago that it was time for a career change. “I didn’t want to become a victim of obsolete job skills, so I decided to return to school, although I was concerned about my age.” After enrolling at HFCC he determined that age did not really matter. “I decided that I had a lot to offer in the way of experience to the younger students, as well as to learn from them.” Thanks to HFCC counselors and a scholarship, coupled with two years of intense study, he was able to complete HFCC’s Maintenance Engineering Technology program. In October 2005, Greg joined the HFCC staff as an Instructional Technician in the HFCC Trade and Apprentice Programs.
Carla Gray
“HFCC’s Honors Program was challenging, rewarding and definitely prepared me to excel.”
Carla writes, “Henry Ford was such a stepping-stone to get me to where I am today. When I was preparing to transfer, I realized how much it meant to me to have professors that were readily available to help and advise. I developed a rapport with almost every one because they were truly interested in students’ well-being and success. With that kind of support system, realizing one’s potential and goals becomes attainable. This was very important as I searched for a school to transfer to.
“Henry Ford’s diverse campus broadened my world-view and class discussions always included several different viewpoints and opinions. The communication skills developed during class discussions, giving Honors presentations, volunteering in the English Language Institute, have been a huge asset to me both in completing my degree and in interviewing. When asked what college I graduated from, I proudly say Henry Ford and York because I realize the importance that both institutions played in my education.” Carla has recently been hired by the U.S. Secret Service.
David Kamara
“I saw my coming to America as a dream opportunity to enroll in one of its awe-inspiring universities.”
A star student in the Henry Ford II Honors Program, David went on to graduate from the University of Michigan
Despite the fact that he had been accepted to study at a German university, David traveled from his war-torn home in Sierra Leone, West Africa, to join his friends in Dearborn and enroll at HFCC. He is fluent in English, French, Ukrainian (his mother is Ukrainian) and several African languages, and became a star student in the HFCC Henry Ford II Honors Program prior to going to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Upon graduating from U of M, David accepted a position with McMaster-Carr Supply Company, an industrial supply distributor in Elmhurst, Illinois. Today he is responsible for recruiting graduates from the University of Michigan and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ardeta Gjikola
Ardeta, a native of Albania who performs classical piano and speaks four languages fluently, moved to the United States in 2002. Her dream became a reality at HFCC when nominated by Dr. Nabeel Abraham, Director, to become a member of the Henry Ford II Honors Program.
This year, she was one of only 25 community college students in the nation to win the distinguished Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship that provides up to $90,000 over a three-year period to study at any college or university in the country. The award is proving useful as Ardeta has become a junior at University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), where she is majoring in cell and molecular biology. She interned at a well-established summer science lab at Wayne State University.
Esther Kelley
Esther Kelley is a second-year HFCC Henry Ford II Honors Program student and a proud recipient of the Coca-Cola Two-Year College Scholarship. Esther is the recipient of the coveted summer lab science internship at the University of Rochester in New York. Dr. Charlie Jacobs, Associate Dean, Science Division at HFCC, wrote this about her:
“We are very proud that Esther is the first of our science students accepted into a Research Experience for Undergraduates program.
“It is relatively rare for community college students to apply to, and be accepted into these programs, which are hosted by the top research institutions in the nation. Typically, 150-300 of the brightest students in the US apply to each of these programs, and only half a dozen or so are accepted into each. Esther was competing with the best undergraduate students from (mainly) research-oriented universities with strong graduate programs.”
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