Supporting a place where different communities can come together and learn from each other
February 21, 2023
“Education is transformative. It impacts the lives of individuals, their families, and their communities,” says Dr. John Michael, an ophthalmologist in Niles, Illinois. “That has been my mom’s mantra for as long as I can remember.” Dr. Michael also believes in the transformative impact of education. “It is the most moderating influence in a radicalized part of the world,” he says.
John grew up with a keen appreciation for the American University of Beirut, which he describes as “the premier institution in Lebanon and one of the premier institutions in the region.” He values the fact that AUB is a place where different communities can come together and learn from each other.
John was born in Beirut and has visited Lebanon many times over the years. Although not an alumnus himself, he grew up hearing about AUB – particularly from his mother. During one of the family’s visits to Lebanon, when he was just six or seven years old, his mother took him, his brother, Ron, and his sister, Carolyn, on a tour of the AUB campus. “It was her dream for us to attend AUB,” he says. Thanks to his generosity, other young Assyrians will be able to pursue their dreams – and their educations – at AUB.
John has recently established the Alice Michael Endowed Scholarship, which is named for his mother. He was especially concerned to help young Assyrian students – too many of whom have been displaced from their homes in Iraq and Syria in recent years. “The cost of an AUB education is out of reach for many young Assyrian students whose families are under intense pressure these days,” he says. His mother’s and his father’s families were forced to flee what is now Turkey in 1915 – his father’s family to Iraq and his mother’s family to Syria/Lebanon – and so he feels a strong affinity with young Assyrian students.
“We deeply appreciate – and need – the support of donors like Dr. Michael. I am touched that he chose to establish this endowed scholarship fund in the name of his mother,” says Associate Vice President for Development Walid Katergi.