Layla Sareini with her family

DEARBORN— Every year, thousands of college students enthusiastically return their textbooks and dispose of their notes in anticipation of graduation. As the Arab American population continues to establish itself in local communities, the names of an increasing number of Arab American graduates are read out loud at commencement ceremonies.

Universities have graciously accepted the ethnic group, as diversity has become a vital lifeblood to the prosperity of these institutions. 

John Corvino, professor and chair of the philosophy department at Wayne State University, who read the names of walking graduates during this spring’s commencement, said diversity is the university’s greatest strength.

“The strong, visible presence of Arab American students is one of our distinctive strengths,” Corvino said. “That strength is increasingly noticeable at commencement.”

David Strauss, dean of students at WSU, said “the Arab American student community adds so much vibrancy and involvement to campus life and campus activities.”

Hashim Altawil, chair of the art history department and advisor to the Arab Student Union at Henry Ford College, said while the school does not track Arab American students, he estimates that 30 percent of the college’s students are of Arab descent. 

“I feel very proud when I see my students who are handling a job or two and coming to college and doing very well,” Altawil said. 

“I also see female Arab American students, many of them are mothers and have children and are doing just excellent, taking classes. There is something in the culture of Arab American student that pushes them to excel in academics.”

“I am following in the footsteps of my mother, who received her bachelor’s in political science in three short years, while working and raising five children. Her sleepless nights doing homework at the kitchen table where we all just enjoyed the meal she prepared for us are what made me and my siblings so driven in the classroom and made us value college at such a higher level.

“To me, education is not performing well on your exams and proving to your professor that you can memorize PowerPoint presentations. Education is being able to communicate issues and concerns intelligently; being able to perpetuate and reinforce the culture of the society we live in with the skills we have attained and knowing how to do so on both individual and collective levels.

“Graduation felt like something out of a movie. I still have the urge to pack my backpack and get on the Sunday night train to Ann Arbor and catch up on my homework. As I walked into the Big House, which is where my ceremony was held, my eyes began to water. The four years hunched over at a desk, the 20 hours of sleep a week, working two jobs, living on my own and finding my identity was all coming to an end. Every day of undergrad I wished for a time machine so I could skip ahead to graduation. But at my commencement, I wished for a time machine to go back four years and do it all over again. College was the most rewarding experience of my life.

“I do not think recent Arab American graduates face any challenges. We are some of the most successful, generous and educated people in the country, which means that wherever you go, you are likely to find an Arab who is going to help you in reaching your goals. In addition to this, we’ve already achieved so much by graduating college during a time where anti-Arab sentiment is so high that we are that much stronger and resilient to any challenges that may arise in response to our ethnicity. In fact, we should welcome challenges; they’ll only make us stronger and more prepared for our professional lives.

“This Sunday I will be traveling to Brazil, where I will be volunteering in hospitals and villages in Rio de Janeiro. When I return, I will begin to study for my LSAT and then apply to law school. I hope that with a law degree in hand, I will be better able to fight for education and prison reform in our country.

“To someone who is beginning their college career or still an underclassman, I would tell them to take advantage of all of their university’s resources. And if you have an idea, do it. If you want to see change in your classroom or on your campus, work for it. Join student organizations and travel outside your comfort zone. Getting a 4.0 is not the most important thing in the world; I actually think it’s the least important, so don’t prevent yourself from gaining valuable life experiences because you’re glued to your studies.”