HFC Honors Program student Sedra Mouard standing next to her poster presentation at University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program summer symposium, July 29, 2026.

Being a part of the Community College Summer Fellowship Program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor this summer was as incredible and thrilling as it was difficult.

My undergraduate research project involved researching the biographical information of over 1600 Sunni Kuwaiti clerics. This process required not only incredible patience and thorough research skills but also the use of both English and Arabic. With the majority of the research conducted in Arabic, I had to translate the data into English as accurately as possible with little room for error. The fear of making a mistake lengthened the research time.

My interest in the summer fellowship stemmed from interviews I conducted for a previous Mirror News article. The article highlighted the difficulties artificial intelligence’s rapid growth has caused in the workforce.

Former Henry Ford Early College (HFEC) students and graduates of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Emad Abdulaziz and Murad Tawfiq, both shared the regret of not having gained enough experience outside of schoolwork in research or internships, which would have helped them excel further and faster in their career paths after earning their Bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science Engineering.

From intensive Arabic classes in elementary and middle school and the research and writing skills I honed at The Mirror News, I successfully completed the program. I presented my work at the annual Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) symposium in July. My presentation earned the “Blue Ribbon Award.” I am continuing the research project with my mentor, Mostafa El-Sharkawy, and I hope to complete the biographical research on the Kuwaiti clerics by December.

An HFEC student who participated in the program was Ziyad Abdulaziz, who is pursuing his associate degree in Pre-Engineering. Abdulaziz and his mentor, Susan Fancy, participated in a research project mapping Michigan’s sustainable carbon management. “I have always wanted to attend the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and I figured participating in UROP would be a good starting point,” Abdulaziz explained, continuing, “ Research experience was important to me, as well as making connections in order to succeed in my transfer to the university.”

Abdulaziz said, “I struggled to adapt to a new campus, but it was also a very generous experience. Being able to try new things, experience the food there, and find new spots to admire the campus during long walks. It was also a struggle to gain a stronger sense of productivity during the summer break. It was nice using my brain and really gaining some real experience and knowledge during a time I annually spent wasting most of my time.”

Sedra Mourad, HFC Honors Program student and biology major, shared her experience with the summer fellowship: “I was placed in Dr. Navin Mahadevan’s lab in the Department of Pathology at Michigan Medicine, where I worked on a small cell lung cancer research project. My work focused on understanding molecular mechanisms that may influence cancer cell behavior and interactions with the immune system. I gained hands-on experience with cell culture, proliferation assays, RT-qPCR, co-culture experiments, data analysis, and scientific literature review, while also learning how to troubleshoot experiments and interpret results with my mentors.”

Beyond the lab, Mourad attended weekly workshops focused on STEM, research communication, professional development, and scientific poster preparation. “I also really valued being part of a cohort of community college students from across Michigan, which allowed us to build friendships and professional connections before transferring to four-year institutions,” Mourad said. “The experience strengthened my interest in biomedical research and gave me a much clearer understanding of the research process. I’m now continuing my work with the lab during the academic year, which has given me the opportunity to build further on the skills and experience I developed over the summer.”

Liaan Milhem, a super senior with HFEC, also shared her experience, “My UROP CCSFP experience was honestly such a great opportunity. I got hands-on experience with 3D printing pelvic floor models and learned how engineering can be applied to women’s health. I also got to work alongside researchers and physicians, which gave me a better understanding of what research looks like in a real lab. It definitely helped me see how my interests in medicine, neuroscience, and biomedical engineering can come together. It actually made me want to continue doing research!!! I want to transfer to a 4-year university and continue working towards my education as I’m currently on the pre-med track. I plan to major in neuroscience.”

Ahmed Hajj, a super senior at HFEC, shared his experience this past summer: “Over the summer I participated in the CCSFP UROP at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. I had heard of the program through a previous CCSFP student, and me being a huge Michigan fan (Go Blue), I decided to apply for the opportunity. I was ecstatic when I got in and even more so when I got accepted into my first-choice lab studying neurodivergence and its implications on motor skills. I loved how the program felt so real. There was actual work being done, and it wasn’t the busy work that many summer research programs will give you, only for it to never go anywhere.

I also got the opportunity to continue my research at the university into the Fall and Winter, funded by the Mellon Grant. Research can be difficult, especially in stricter wet labs; however, it’s important to remember the end goal of your work and that it has real implications on the future. I think the fact that I chose to continue with my research into the fall and winter speaks volumes onto whether I regret my decision to apply. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made, and I’ve met so many new and amazing people from it. It’s opened a new door for me into the world of research.”

Hajj went to say, “I’m in the early college, so I am technically a first-year applicant and not a transfer applicant, but I’m hoping to attend the University of Michigan LSA and pursue a degree in BCN (Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience). So much so that I’ve started to consider the possibility of pursuing a career in research and getting my PhD in Neuroscience; however, only time will tell where I will end up!”