By Dr. Zahirah Shakir Khan
Director, Mohammed Schools of Atlanta
(Photos by Nassar Madyun)
ATLANTA, Ga. – An elite group of eight students made up the 29th graduating class of W.D. Mohammed High School in Atlanta.
Ahmad Abdur Rahman, Khairy Abdus-Samad, Nicole Clennon, Muhammad El-Amin, Atiyyah Kariem, Faheem Law, Najah Muhammad and Shari’aah Wazeerud-Din are deemed elite based on the sudden closure of schools across the country followed by the cancellation of many graduation ceremonies.
The graduates had the opportunity to experience the first outdoor, yet in-person graduation ceremony for the Mohammed Schools of Atlanta. They used this opportunity to address the timely topic, “When Comes the Help of Allah,” with each senior connecting personal and societal experiences and responses to this pertinent question for our world today.
The graduates expressed the concerns of police brutality, the impact of the coronavirus, the need for leadership and social justice with guidance and resolutions from the Holy Qur’an, prescribing hope, patience and faith.
Although the families of the graduates were physically and socially distanced, the audience experienced a deep connection and visibly moving interaction with the exceptionally well-spoken words of the students.
The ceremony was live-streamed with over 4,000 viewers sharing the experience remotely.
Following the speeches of the graduates, the students were presented with over 21 Muslim Agency Awards and Scholarships given by community members or groups to support their future goals.
The post-secondary plans of the students were shared with many of them receiving full scholarship offers to colleges and universities locally and nationally.
Two students received the Zell Miller Scholarship given to Georgia seniors with at least a 3.7 GPA and 27 ACT test score that provides 100 percent of their tuition.
Six of the eight students are eligible for the Georgia HOPE Scholarship, with at least 3.0 GPAs. And the remaining two students were eligible for the HOPE grant for technical or career program studies.
We thank Allah (swt) for the privilege of preparing our students to become effective global citizens and assume their roles as contributing members of society.