Kamal Abuarquob

Kamal1

"I have learned a lot from my involvement in campus activities. I have met many people of various backgrounds; I have joined study groups and networked. I learned a lot about American culture as well as its various subcultures."

  • Alumni of: 2006 Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Program
  • Resides: Ann Arbor, MI
  • Hometown: West Bank, Palestine
  • Age: 26

Biography

Kamal Abuarquob left his small Palestinian village when he was 18 to attend a U.S. college, which had given him a scholarship after the first year of distinction in classes. While living in West Bank, he had taught himself English and Hebrew, through movies, music and news programs, and later took formal English lessons. He was a self-starter who read widely in science, outside of the classroom, and ranked at the top of his class from the first grade through high school. Unfortunately, he fell just short of scores for the top 10 graduating seniors in the West Bank, which meant no tuition help for college. With 18 brothers and sisters, his parents encouraged him but could not help, financially.

He flourished at Henry Ford Community College, both academically and socially. He became president of the Science Association and took full advantage of the college's honors program's directed studies, where he excelled in science. There is a world of difference between his life in Michigan and in West Bank. "As a result of the difficult political situation in my occupied land, many of my hopes had been limited; I used to schedule my life according to the external limits placed on me and my society." That included a three-year curfew where villagers could not leave, let alone visit other towns in Palestine. Now, he travels freely, has routine access to technology, and has been living a life that is relatively limits-free --in the United States. In 2008, he has earned a Bachelor's degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. One of his long-term goals is studying and conducting biomedical research. In addition, he is looking forward to starting his journey in writing, as he is getting ready to publish his first book, which talks about the relationships between Arabs/Muslims and the West.

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