Students nominated for All-USA Community College Academic Team scholarships
By Kurt Anthony Krug
HFCC students Leah Mantei and Jennifer Hubble Zdanowski recently received nominations for the 2012 All-USA Community College Academic Team program.
This program--which is presented by USA Today, Phi Theta Kappa, and the American Association of Community Colleges, and sponsored by the Follett Higher Education Group-- recognizes 20 outstanding community college students throughout the country on an annual basis.
If they win, Mantei and Hubble Zdanowski, along with 18 other students from community colleges in 37 participating states across the nation, will be eligible to receive a $2,500 scholarship. More than $41 million in scholarship money is available. Students nominated to the All-USA Community College Academic Team are automatically named to the All-State Community College Academic Team for the state of Michigan. All-State members receive special recognition, including medallions and certificates.
'We picked both of them because their academic record is great. Their grade-point averages are 3.5 and higher. They are also involved in several activities on campus in addition to being outstanding students,' said Dr. Nabeel Abraham, a professor of Anthropology and the director of the Henry Ford Community College Honors Program.
Mantei, a 2010 graduate of Warren Cousino High School, chose to attend HFCC because of its renowned Arabic Cultural Studies program, through which she's pursuing her associate's degree. Following her graduation in 2012, she plans to transfer to either the University of Detroit-Mercy or the American University in Washington, D.C., where she plans to major in Philosophy/Pre-law.
During her time at HFCC, Mantei played on the HFCC Women's Basketball Team in the 2010-11 season and also worked as a tutor in the English Language Institute. She speaks some Arabic and fluent German.
'At first, I didn't know I'd be recognized, but it's really a great honor to be one of the two representatives of this College. I hope I'm able to represent the diversity of this campus well,' said Mantei.
A single mother of two, Hubble Zdanowski, of Southgate, will graduate in 2012 with an associate's degree in General Studies. Her extracurricular activities include serving as president of the HFCC Astronomy Club and as business manager for The Mirror News, the official HFCC student newspaper. Additionally, she is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and was named Student of the Month for October by the Student Activities Office for her leadership. After graduation, Zdanowski plans to transfer to either Wayne State University or Madonna University, where she will study Nursing.
'I can't fully express how excited I am about this--it's a huge honor to me,' said Zdanowski. 'HFCC is the best community college in the area, which is why I chose to come here,' she added.
In 2010, HFCC Honors Program student Batool Ali Saad of Dearborn was one of only 20 community college students across the United States and the only Michigan student to earn selection to the 2011 All-USA Community College Academic Team.
To learn more about the HFCC Honors Program, please contact Dr. Nabeel Abraham at 313.845.6460, or visit https://www.hfcc.edu/academics/programs/honors-program. For more about the All-USA Community College Academic Team scholarships, please visit http://www.usatoday.com/marketing/academic_teams/index.html.