| AAYSP 3rd National Conference |
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BY LAMIS AHMED The third annual conference of the American Association of Yemeni Scientists and Professionals (AAYSP) was held at the Doubletree Hotel in Detroit on May 29-30. This two-day conference titled “Building Our Communities: A Call to Action for a Better Future” brought Yemeni American professionals together from across the country including New York, California, Washington D.C., Virginia, Ohio and Indiana. The conference consisted of many sessions but all the topics were centered on the idea of promoting the education of the Yemeni-American community. Some of the topics included the effects of the media and technology on education, high school dropout rates, literacy levels of Yemeni-American students as compared to the general population, the role of parent involvement, the importance of mentoring, and sports and extra-curricular activities. Speakers came from a variety of backgrounds and professions; they gave insightful and interesting presentations. 
  The conference exhibited a high degree of organization through the work of the Michigan chapter led by Mr. Adel Mozip.  The keynote speaker at the AAYSP Gala and Scholarship Ceremony was Ms. Adela Daud Estopinan, a Lebanese-American attorney who came from Florida. She aimed to motivate Yemeni-Americans to excel in all disciplines through higher education, in turn encouraging Arab-Americans to emulate their example.  In addition, Dr. Rashid Abdu, a well-known surgeon and avid supporter of AAYSP also spoke about the advancement of the Yemeni-American community through education.   One astonishing statistic mentioned was that out of 1.2 billion Arabs in the world, only seven are recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize, reflecting the need for the community to achieve its potential. The ceremony’s main focus was to honor 24 high school seniors for their strong academic performance. Each received a college scholarship, generated from the Yemeni-American community in the U.S.  The ceremony also featured some ‘Inshad’ by a group of high school students led by HFCC undergraduate Ahmed Sharif, premiering the song ‘Education is the Light’ which was dedicated to the graduates. In addition there was another nasheed by Adnan Alabdi. The board of the American Association of Yemeni Scientists and Professionals extends an invitation to all Yemeni-Americans to help AAYSP achieve its mission to serve the community through education. |
