Olivia Ghurab found professors who helped her love learning
Growing up, Olivia Ghurab always struggled in academics and didn’t enjoy school.
That changed when she enrolled at HFC. She credits biology instructor Dr. Joel Milliner, psychology instructor Alison Buchanan, and mathematics instructor Michael Sin for changing her mindset.
“These three professors have had such a positive influence on me. Thanks to them, I have confidence in my abilities,” said Ghurab. “Professor Sin broke down mathematical concepts and made them easy for me to digest. I enjoy math now, and I ended up earning 102% in his class! I never thought I could earn As and be as great a student as I am. I like being in school. HFC turned that around for me.”
From HR to nursing
A lifelong Dearborn resident, Ghurab, who speaks conversational Arabic, is the third of four children and the youngest daughter. She earned her GED from Romulus High School.
Before enrolling at HFC, Ghurab worked in human resources for more than 3 years at HNDRDS LLC in Warren. She earned the following credentials:
- OSHA 30 Certification
- Adult and Child CPR Certification
- AED Certification
- Certificate of Compliance
“I just realized HR was not the path for me,” said Ghurab. “I’ve always been very nurturing, so I thought, what better way to do that than go into health care through nursing? I wanted to become something great.”
She looked into colleges and universities in the Metro Detroit area. In the end, she decided to continue her education at HFC.
“I remember coming to HFC on field trips when I was in elementary school. I was looking to attend school close to where I lived. A lot of my friends graduated from HFC and had good things to say about it, and that encouraged me to strive for this,” she recalled.
“Coming to HFC was the best decision I ever made!”
Ghurab is majoring in pre-nursing at HFC. She is a member of the HFC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa honor society.
“I’m the person who sends out the study guides on the group chats. I’ve tutored some of my peers. When tutoring, I also learn the material better,” she said. “Coming to HFC was the best decision I ever made! I didn’t realize how much I was going to enjoy it here. People asked me if my classes are stressful. Yes, they are, but it’s a good kind of stress; I thrive on it!”
“Olivia is one of the most driven students I have seen,” said Milliner. “She is smart, works hard at her studies, but one of the most incredible things about her is that she likes to help her classmates succeed, which I find inspiring.”
A lyric from the rapper Russ’ song “Manifest” is inspirational to Ghurab: “Patience tastes bitter, but the aftertaste is so sweet.”
“That lyric reflects exactly what my journey has been – the hard moments, the long nights, the doubt – but also the reward that comes from not giving up on yourself,” she said.
Relating course material to the real world
“The professors encourage us to make contact with our fellow students, and we all become friends. Any class I’ve had here, they have made it so inspiring,” she said. “I’ve been encouraging several of my friends to enroll here. They can do more than they realize. They have more talent than they realize.”
“I met Olivia in my introductory psychology course last year,” said Buchanan. “She is so attentive during class. She always asks great questions. Sometimes, she would stay after class to ask more questions. You could tell that she could relate the course material to the real world. She was just an overall pleasant student to have in class and get to know. She is in my online lifespan development course this semester. She brings a lot of great experience to the classroom. I could not be prouder of her. She is a hard worker who is determined to succeed.”
Ghurab’s career goal is to become the best nurse she can be.
“I strive to be the best. I love to learn,” she said. “I didn’t know much I enjoyed learning until being at HFC because I struggled in school growing up. HFC has prepared me for academics to the fullest extent. The person I am today took a long time to become. I doubted myself for a long time. I’m happy about the outcome and happy it happened here in my hometown.”