First recipient of HFC/Eagle Scout scholarship honored
Mahmoud Abbas Rizk is the first recipient of the Boy Scouts of American Mahican District Henry Ford College Endowed Eagle Scout Scholarship. He was awarded this scholarship during the BSA Mahican District 27th Annual Community Breakfast May 15 at Park Place Banquet Hall in Dearborn, where former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer was the keynote speaker.
Currently, Rizk is a senior at Fordson High School and a member of Troop 1172 of Dearborn. He plans to study engineering at HFC upon enrollment for the Fall 2018 semester.
Gary Kuhlmann, owner of Park Place and an HFC alumnus; Karl L. Fava, a Dearborn-based accountant and HFC adjunct instructor; Brad Simmons, Director of Community Outreach for Ford Motor Company; and Dr. Walter Talamonti, Medical Director/Clinical Operations for Ford Motor Company, created the scholarship. It will benefit Eagle Scouts living in the communities serviced by the Mahican District who will attend HFC. The Mahican District is part of the Great Lakes Field Service Council, which serves more than 18,000 young people in the Tri-County area, including school districts and communities in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, and Downriver.
“It’s a great honor for me to go to HFC,” said Rizk. “Being a Scout has taught me leadership skills and given me the opportunity to become independent. These skills will come in handy when I start college.”
Dennis Archer, Eagle Scout
A native of Detroit, Archer grew up in Cassopolis, MI. During his childhood, he was an Eagle Scout, which he stated had a positive impact on his life. He earned his undergraduate degree in education from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.
Archer began his career as a teacher of special needs students in the Detroit Public Schools. In 1970, he earned his juris doctor from the Detroit College of Law (which is now the Michigan State University College of Law). He has been an adjunct law professor at DCL and the Wayne State University Law School.
Archer served as a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court from 1986 to 1990. In his last year, he was named "most respected judge in Michigan" by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. He later served as president of the American Bar Association, becoming its first African-American president.
From 1993 to 2001, Archer served as the mayor of Detroit, succeeding Coleman A. Young. He worked to repair the city's relations with the Detroit suburbs and the local business community through cooperation with suburban business leaders on their redevelopment plans for the city, reducing tensions.
Currently, Archer is chairman emeritus of the prominent Detroit-based law firm Dickinson Wright, PLLC. On Dec. 1, 2017, Archer released his memoir, Let the Future Begin, which he co-authored with Elizabeth Ann Atkins.
“In recent years, Scouting has enjoyed a resurgence of sorts. I hope my participation will contribute to moving this renaissance forward in the Tri-County area and especially within the City of Detroit,” said Archer. “Any time business people and Scouting volunteers come together to raise funds to support Scouting and – in the case of the Mahican District – endow a scholarship for a well-deserving Eagle Scout, I get excited about the promise of collaborations between education and Scouting. This is the American way."
Honored Guests
Other guests at the breakfast included:
* A. Reginald Best, Jr., HFC Vice President of Institutional Advancement
* Stacy Bazman, HFC Scholarship Coordinator and Special Assistant to the Vice President
* James Thorpe, HFC Board of Trustees
* Roxanne McDonald, former member of the HFC Board of Trustees
* Dr. Glenn Maleyko, Superintendent of the Dearborn Public Schools
* Dearborn Mayor John B. O'Reilly, Jr.
* Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad
* Wayne County Treasurer Eric R. Sabree
* Hon. Eugene A. Hunt of the 19th District Court in Dearborn
* Dearborn City Councilman Bob Abraham
* Dearborn City Councilwoman/HFC alumna Leslie Herrick
* Mahican District Chair Bill O'Neil
“I am very proud of this newly-created scholarship that will benefit Eagle Scouts who plan to continue their education at HFC. This is an exciting opportunity,” said Best. “It is also an honor to have had Mayor Archer speak at the ceremony where Mr. Rizk received the scholarship. Mayor Archer has been a longtime, dedicated supporter of the programs and services that give youth the opportunity to learn leadership and life skills.”
