11-year-old author to speak about his book at HFC

Author Assem Nassar, 11, will speak about his children’s book called Chasing My Dreams on Wednesday, October 28, from 10:00 a.m. to noon in the Michael A. Berry Amphitheater (Room L-115) on the first floor of the Andrew A. Mazzara Administrative Services & Conference Center (ASCC) (Building L on the main campus).

Assem will be joined by his father, Hussein Nassar, who is the inspiration behind Chasing My Dreams. Two fifth-grade classes from William Ford Elementary School will also be in attendance. This event is sponsored by the HFC Pre-Education Program. HFC Pre-Education Director Dr. Carolyn Casale invited the young Dearborn-based author and his father to the College.

"I greatly enjoyed reading Assem’s book about his father and am excited to meet them both at our author event," said Casale. "I am sure he will inspire future authors. It is also wonderful to see the admiration he has for his father."

His dad and hero inspired the creation of his book

A Lebanese immigrant and father of three, Hussein is an entrepreneur who owns several area gas stations and also works in real estate development. As Hussein's son, Assem has gained exposure to customer service, daily operations, management, leadership, and the responsibilities of running a successful business at a very young age.

"I wrote this book because of my dad and what he's accomplished," said Assem. "He's my hero."

Assem – who attends Great Revelations Academy in Dearborn – collaborated with his former teacher, Zeinab Zaiter Hachem, who illustrated and helped publish Chasing My Dreams. Assem was in her 4th-grade class at Educare Student Services in Dearborn when he began writing his book. This encouraged his love for writing.

"She was very helpful and made great drawings," said Assem. "The drawings matched my family of characters."

"I always encourage my son to dream big, work hard, and believe in himself"

Assem is excited about, and a little nervous, about coming to HFC. Hussein is looking forward to their visit to the College, however.

"I'm very proud of my son. He's creative and motivated, and writing this book is a great accomplishment," he said. "I always encourage my son to dream big, work hard, and believe in himself. I hope his story inspires other kids to follow their dreams."

The event is free and open to the public. For questions and more information, contact Casale at ccasale@hfcc.edu.