Hanan Yahya, a recent University of Michigan-Ann Arbor graduate, is the second of nine siblings to earn a college degree and daughter of immigrants with no formal education.

To her, education is more than sitting in a classroom for hours on end and struggling her way through homework.

She said education helped her find herself and purpose. The certificate she walked away with during the graduation ceremony is unimportant to her, what matters it is what she does with the education.

“It is about learning how to think critically,” she said. “How to master a level of knowledge in a specific field, and ultimately, how to apply the knowledge in a moral and practical manner into the legacy I leave behind in the world.”

Yahya said her family is ecstatic and have been in “celebration mode” throughout her senior year.

Through her education, Yahya not only grew in knowledge, but rich college experiences have transformed her into a more confident and focused person.

“That is the true celebration of my milestone,” she said.

She recalled her graduation ceremony as a “rollercoaster of emotions.”

As she sat in her seat, waiting for her name to be called during the commencement, Yahya said she danced in joy – then sat quietly, assessing her post-college future.

“[It] was the end of an era and the beginning of a new one,” she said.

Yahya said she thinks about particular struggles she might face as an Arab American after graduation. It is not Islamophobia heated by a heated political climate that poses a threat to hiring for jobs, but intra-Arab discrimination as well.

She urged Arab Americans to be more aware of invisible hierarchies that exists in local communities, and address how privilege and power dynamics have perpetuated discrimination.

As a Yemeni-American, she has experienced and battled discrimination first-hand.

But that will not stop Yahya from pursuing her goals.

She said her immediate goals are to return to Detroit and land the Challenge Detroit fellowship, a Detroit revitalization and leadership program, which she said will allow her to develop professionally, while continuing her journey of discovery, growth and new adventures.

Yahya said the college experience is unique. She said students must be brave and resilient in the classroom and in the campus community.

She advised students to be proud of their identity, but not to be afraid to “produce a new version” of themselves.

“Defy barriers and fear no one and nothing, especially the magnitude of your potential. Above all, be kind and have good character,” Yahya said