Welcome to a new country and college, with a family connection

Nahla Haidar encouraged her two nephews, Maher Abdou Aly and Chady Abdou Aly, to begin their education at HFC, where she’s been a math professor for 13 years. Both men, while born in the United States, have lived in Dakar, Senegal for the majority of their lives.

“I wanted them to come to a place that’s very supportive. HFC makes it easier for them to adjust to not only being in college but also being in the United States,” said Haidar, of Dearborn Heights.

Her nephews followed her advice.

Maher Abdou Aly

Maher said getting his start at HFC in 2017 made transferring to Wayne State University in 2019 a smooth process.

“I would say the transition from HFC to Wayne State was much easier than the transition from high school [which he attended in Dakar] to HFC,” said Maher, of Dearborn.

Maher studied pre-engineering at HFC and was in the Henry Ford II Honors Program. While at HFC, he received a research fellowship through the University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) in 2019. Currently, he is in the Irvin D. Reid Honors College at Wayne State, where he’s majoring in computer science. He expects to graduate in 2021.

“Maher was very happy about all the support he received from the faculty and staff at HFC,” said Haidar. “He transitioned to Wayne State easily because of his experience here.”

Chady Abdou Aly

Maher’s younger brother Chady will attend HFC this fall after graduating from high school overseas.

“I chose to come to HFC because my brother went there, and only told me positive things about the College. Also, coming from another country, I wanted a college where my transition would be as smooth as possible. From what I’ve heard and seen, HFC is a good choice,” said Chady, of Dearborn.

Chady will study biology at HFC. He eventually plans to study veterinary medicine at Michigan State University.

“College is a big adjustment,” said Haidar. “We have a caring group of administrators and faculty at HFC. I told my sister [her nephews' mother] that HFC is the place to transition into the U.S.”

Chady says he doesn’t plan to take any classes taught by his aunt.

“I don't plan to take classes with her,” he said. “And if I did, it wouldn't be as her nephew, but as a regular student.”

Haidar feels similarly. She did not encourage Maher or Chady to take her classes. “I wanted them to be independent and take classes with other teachers,” she said.

Nahla Haidar

Born in Kaolack, Senegal, Haidar earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in physics from the University of Dakar. She began her career teaching high school overseas.

Haidar would vacation in the U.S. because she had relatives living in Michigan. Eventually, she immigrated to the U.S. and has remained here since. She is married to Nazeh, her husband of 31 years. Together, they have two adult daughters.

“It was hard coming from overseas because of the language barrier,” said Haidar. “The whole culture here is so much different.”

Haidar is fluent in English, French, and Arabic. She remembers a time when she had trouble learning English.

“I worked as a cashier at Target, which forced me to practice my English-speaking skills, as I had to interact with customers and coworkers,” she said. “I was determined to learn the language. I wouldn’t let anyone ridicule me. I didn’t let it bother me, and I kept going, which is what I’ve taught my nephews and my non-English-speaking students who come to my office.”

Haidar earned her master’s degree in mathematics from Wayne State. She has completed some doctoral work in mathematics at Wayne State.

Before coming to HFC, she taught at Wayne State for 15 years and three years at Lawrence Technological University. She taught as an adjunct at HFC for two years before becoming a full-time faculty member.

A strong sense of community

“The opportunity to teach at HFC presented itself,” she said. “I’ve always liked HFC. I always felt the strong sense of community on this campus that made me want to be a part of this College.”

Haidar wanted her nephews to enroll at HFC because they’re coming from overseas as she did. Her two daughters, who were born in the U.S., did not attend HFC. “They wanted to go to college away from their mom,” she said, laughing.

“Overseas, my relatives in Senegal have heard about how big MSU and the University of Michigan are. They had not heard of HFC until recent years. From what I’m hearing from the family in Dakar, they’ve been impressed by HFC. They’re convinced it’s a great place to get your start.”

In fact, Haidar’s niece Maya – Chady’s twin sister – will attend HFC next year, too.

“All of them are starting at HFC and continuing on,” said Haidar. “HFC makes it easier for them to adjust to a new culture and not only transition from college to college, but from country to country.”