Washtenaw Community College high honors graduate Ahmad Habbas already planned to transfer to the University of Michigan to study Computer Science Engineering.
Earlier this week, he learned that he’ll do so for free.
Habbas is one of 90 community college students nationwide – and one of just four in Michigan – to be awarded the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, which grants winners up to $55,000 per year for up to three years while pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
Habbas is the sixth WCC student two earn the prestigious scholarship, joining Ali Kurmasha (2019), Paula Salazar (2018), Ahmed Ghalib (2019). and Fatouma Abdoulaye Idrissa and Susannah Spence (2013).
“I first got the news on a Zoom meeting with some WCC staff and I was so happy when I heard that,” Habbas, 24, said. “I couldn’t express my feelings.”
WCC Executive Vice President for Instruction Dr. Brandon R. Tucker summoned Habbas to the dais during Thursday’s annual Honors Convocation ceremony so all in attendance could congratulate him for receiving the honor.
Habbas, who immigrated from Jordan in 2020, joined family in the Ann Arbor area with the sole intention of attending the world-renowned University of Michigan. Like hundreds of students do each year, he started his quest to attend U-M by first enrolling at WCC. Not many, however, start their pursuit with English-as-a-Second-Language classes.
Habbas spoke little to no English when he arrived in Ann Arbor. He learned the language over two years before starting the college’s Pre-Engineering Science Transfer associate degree program.
“I think classwork probably took me double the time of a normal student because the language was a barrier for me, especially in classes like Calculus, Physics and Chemistry,” Habbas said. “It took me a lot of time … but here I am!”
Despite the language barrier, Habbas graduated with high honors (3.84 GPA).
The 90-member 2025 cohort of Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship winners is one of the largest in the Foundation’s 25-year history, reinforcing its continued commitment to creating debt-free pathways to higher education for high-achieving community college students with financial need.
Beyond funding, winners receive personalized advising to guide their academic and professional journeys and gain access to a nationwide network of more than 3,400 Cooke Scholars and alumni, along with opportunities for internships, study abroad, and graduate school support.
This year’s selection process drew more than 1,600 applications from community colleges across the nation. The 90 new Scholars were selected from a semifinalist pool of 467 students. Applicants were evaluated based on their academic achievement, unmet financial need, persistence, and leadership qualities.
Tags: Class of 2025, Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, Scholarships, Student Awards, Student Succes