DEARBORN — On Wednesday Dearborn High School (DHS) held a signing day event in the school library, where four students accepted full-ride scholarships from universities in the state based on their athletic performance and academic excellence. This year, two Arab American students, Ali Jawad and Ollie Ajami, were among the recipients who signed their letters of intent, accepting full-ride sports scholarships from two different universities.

Ali Jawad, 17, accepted a full-ride soccer scholarship to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he will be playing midfielder for the school’s soccer team this fall. Jawad’s family says he started playing soccer when he was just a child, after being introduced to the sport by his father who was also a soccer player growing up. 

At the age of five, Jawad joined the Dearborn Soccer Club, where he says he struggled with the sport at first. However, after he learned to develop sharper skills during the course of the games, he quickly became one of the team’s best players. His skills had drastically improved, enough for him to begin playing for the older level teams by the age of seven.

When he was 12, Jawad joined the Olympic Development Program (ODP), a national program that helps develop youth players to represent their state, region, and country in soccer competitions. He would soon after take his skills to the Premier Soccer Club of Michigan, where he continued playing the sport. Jawad received an opportunity for a full-ride at U of M not only because of his soccer skills, but also because he’s been an outstanding student throughout his high school career. He maintained a 4.0 GPA, making him a valuable candidate for U of M recruiters. Jawad says maintaining academic excellence has always been a priority.

“If you play one sport, focus on that and do well in school. Even if you are not that good athletically but are great in school, it’s easy to go somewhere big. As long as you do good in school, the opportunities are going to be endless,” Jawad stated.

Ali Jawad (L) and Ollie Ajami (R)

Jawad’s consistency in both fields, academics and athletics, makes him a perfect fit at U of M. The school is one of the top 10 universities nationally, both academically and athletically. Jawad will be enrolled as a full time student at U of M along with his older brother. He plans on staying in the freshman dorms during his first year there, and then rooming with his brother for his remaining three years. For his career, he’s looking to either go into pre-medicine in hopes of becoming a surgeon, or attend pharmacy school.

Jawad’s mother Zainab says parents shouldn’t hesitate when it comes to education opportunities for their children. With both of her sons enrolled as full time students at U of M next fall, she believes more parents should be encouraging their children to pursue the best education possible.

“If the opportunities are there, then these kids need to take them. It will help them become better adults and be better prepared for the real world when they get their degrees,” said Zainab Jawad.

While Jawad will be playing soccer in Ann Arbor, another DHS student will be taking his football skills to another university. Ollie Ajami accepted a full-ride scholarship to Grand Valley State University, where he will be playing college football. Ajami began his football career at the young age of 8, when he played for the Dearborn Heights Raiders. He played on the team for six years until he was a freshman at DHS, where he quickly became a prominent player on the school’s JV team.

But playing on the JV team at school didn’t last too long. Coaches noticed his athletic performance and soon promoted  him to varsity while he was still a freshman, becoming one of the youngest players on the team. He maintained an excellent GPA throughout his four years in high school, which ultimately led to a few scholarship opportunities. In the end, he decided to go with Grand Valley because he had always been a fan of the university. He advises other young students in the community to plan ahead for their future and set goals.

“Stay on top of your academics of course. Always have a plan if you want to leave. Understand what it takes, set goals for yourself and accomplish those goals to get there. You not only have to be educated on what it takes, but then you also have to do what it takes,” Ajami stated.

Ajami’s father Khalil says he faced a predicament that many parents may face if there is an opportunity to allow their child to go away for school. He was hesitant at first when his son wanted to accept the scholarship to Grand Valley. However, he soon realized it could be the best path for him.

“I would’ve liked him to stay close to home, but that was his decision. He wanted to explore his opportunities. He always wanted to play for Grand Valley and his dream came true. It’s good for them to go on their own and battle life while exploring their opportunities. Hopefully they’ll come out right,” Khalil Ajami said. 

At Grand Valley, Ajami plans on majoring in criminal justice as well as minoring in communications. While there, he will be staying at the dorms on campus for his first year, and then plans on becoming roommates with one of his friends for the remainder of his time. He hopes to continue his education after Grand Valley by applying to law schools.

Jeff Conway, the Athletics Director at DHS, says approximately 10 students a year from the school will have opportunities to accept full-ride athletic scholarships at varying universities. Each university has their own criteria, but all look for students who excel in both athletics and academics.