HawkStrong: HFC provides Lebanese journalist a path to success in the U.S.
An accomplished Lebanese journalist when he immigrated to the United States in 2019, Kassem Doghman learned that he would have to start over to pursue his career.
His language aptitude and strong work ethic led him to enroll at HFC.
“Unfortunately, I found out when I arrived in the U.S. that there are no Arabic TV channels here in Michigan, which would have allowed me to immediately find a job in my field. So, I had to find a new line of work, and this would require another college degree. But I consider myself fortunate, because I was able to learn English fast. Getting involved in politics and community functions here in Michigan reignited my passion and gave me positive reinforcement to continue in this new path,” explained Doghman, who lives in Dearborn with his wife, Rana Fayad, who is an HFC alumna.
Determined to learn English -- quickly, and well
Doghman is the eldest of six. In fact, he and sisters Zeinab and Zahraa are triplets. Educated overseas, he earned his bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communications from Beirut Arab University. He later earned his master's degree in research and information science and communications from Lebanese University.
Doghman is fluent in Arabic and French. He had a working knowledge of English when he arrived in the U.S., but he needed to improve. He dug into the work by enrolling in ESL classes at HFC, placing in Level 4. He also took remedial English classes, then moved on to mainstream English classes, as well as public speaking classes. In the Fall 2022 semester, he plans to take political science and telecommunication classes.
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great”
“Not only did I find there are no Arabic TV channels in Michigan, but the other media experiences are social media-based. Social media has given many people the opportunity to enter this profession from the back door without establishing themselves in traditional media or going through professional training in the field as I did,” he said. “I ventured into social media and started my own show The Kassem Doghman Show after many years of experience in traditional media. I mainly targeted Arabic speakers, and I needed to target English speakers if I wanted to have more impact. So I decided to go back to college to enhance my English. Then I started to look for a job or an internship at American TV stations in order to work as an international journalist.”
Doghman has not declared a major at HFC and is keeping his options open. He would like to transfer to the University of Michigan-Dearborn or Wayne State University. He has maintained a 4.0 GPA during his time at HFC and is working toward an ESL certificate. He considers HFC English instructor Charles Wesserling one of his mentors.
“He encouraged me, motivated me, and inspired me, and made me feel I was capable of anything,” said Doghman. “HFC offers convenience, affordability, and – based on my experience – excellent faculty. You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
Nothing is impossible if you are motivated
Doghman is a certified Arabic teacher at the Universal Learning Academy in Westland. He is also a member of the Michigan Democratic Party and is working hard to increase the number of Arab American voters, especially with election season coming up.
“I would like to tell students like me who had to start from zero that nothing is impossible if you have the motivation. You have the opportunity to achieve your dreams and ambitions if you work hard. A couple of years ago, I barely spoke any English, but with the progress I've made, I was recently appointed by the City of Dearborn to be a member of the ballot translation committee for Arab American voters,” he said. “Without hard work, all of this would have been impossible. Hopefully, in the future I can keep going and achieve even more with the education that I'm pursuing. I hope that one day I can be an adjunct instructor at HFC or another college, just as I was in my home country of Lebanon. I would like to teach communications and media courses or Arabic. This now is my next goal, and it means a lot to me to teach in the same college where I am currently studying.”