Honors Program alumni, Ahmed Saleh, had a stroke of success by winning a 48-hour mobile app creation contest at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and became the owner of a small IOS, or iPhone Operating Software, business. Upon achieving such feats, Saleh accredited the HFCC Honors Program for providing him the means to flourish.
Saleh and his team won first place in the University of Michigan Hackathon as elected by judges from the U of M Engineering department, Wal-Mart representatives, and other IOS developers. His team created the “IVision” app which allows anybody with a smartphone to access a quick and accurate eye examination. IVision provides a score to inform the user how close their vision is to 20/20 by administering a LogMar style examination. The app automatically calculates the distance between the person and the phone and subsequently adjusts the size of the text for more consistent and reliable results. Users can use swipe gestures or voice commands to control the app.
After graduating from HFCC, Saleh developed five mobile apps; three of which made it to the Apple Store. Each app earned a five star rating with over 2,000 downloads. In addition to his mobile apps, Saleh now runs a small company that develops IOS platforms for other companies. The company is progressing smoothly and he is currently in the process of building up a team to maximize its productivity.
Saleh ultimately thanks the Honors Program at HFCC for allowing him to develop his talents. He created his first app while undertaking an IOS directed study with professor Brian Stewart last winter.
“That particular project revealed to me that developing IOS is something that I’m good at and something I love at the same time,” Saleh said.
Saleh continued to explain that the Honors Program not only provided him the means to explore the development of IOS, but also shaped his academic success. The program aided his development and fueled his interests at HFCC and ultimately granted him a transfer scholarship to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He was also prepared mentally for the trials of a four-year university by learning how to cope with a great amount of work and stress.
“I thank the honors program for opening the door to all these great opportunities,” said Saleh. “More than anything else, it truly helped me learn about myself and what I want to be.”