{"id":2548,"date":"2019-11-09T01:12:28","date_gmt":"2019-11-08T22:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/?p=2548"},"modified":"2019-11-09T02:50:30","modified_gmt":"2019-11-08T23:50:30","slug":"professor-from-yemen-teaches-at-the-college-program-he-helped-build","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/professor-from-yemen-teaches-at-the-college-program-he-helped-build\/","title":{"rendered":"Professor from Yemen teaches at the college program he helped build."},"content":{"rendered":"

By Simon Albaugh – YAN – Dearborn<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Through the Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Michigan, the Cisco Networking Academy builds students into IT Professionals. It\u2019s one of thousands of Cisco-run programs around the world that takes two-years, or four courses, to complete. However, students around Detroit who complete the lowest-level certification can be qualified for jobs with salaries around $50,000. At the highest level, salaries can exceed $100,000.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a difficult program, according to one faculty member. And with re-certification exams running every three years, the work won\u2019t be over once a student has graduated. But it\u2019s worth it, says Taha Abdulkarim, one of three professors in the program.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Abdulkarim has been teaching with Henry Ford for over ten years. His classes fall under Cisco\u2019s CCNA and CCNP Certifications, which means that someone can become an IT Network Associate or professional from Henry Ford\u2019s programs. Abdulkarim himself holds a higher certification as a network engineer, certifying that he can build the IT Networks for institutions and larger businesses.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Since 1998, Abdulkarim has been teaching in the field of computer networks. He graduated with a degree in electrical and computer engineering from Wayne State University. But before that, he was studying at Henry Ford College, the same place where he teaches now.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Computers first started to fascinate him when he went to a workshop in Eureka Michigan. \u201cAnd I liked the ideas,\u201d Abdulkarim said. He was most fascinated by the way computer networks are capable of mass communication throughout institutions. \u201cSo I started reading and reading about this,\u201d Abdulkarim said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Abdulkarim eventually earned his certification for working at Henry Ford as a Tech Specialist. He would help instructors learn how to use technology and troubleshoot small issues. Eventually, his skills became outdated and he needed to learn a new network format, Cisco. And nearly directly after he became certified in Cisco, a faculty member at the place he worked approached him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThere was an instructor who was retiring,\u201d Abdulkarim said. \u201cHe was building the Cisco program here, and I met with him. He found out that I was certified, so he said \u2018Hey Taha, I need you to come and help me.\u2019 That\u2019s how I became a teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He\u2019s been teaching Cisco for the past 11 years at Henry Ford College in Dearborn. Students on ratemyprofessor.com call him a patient teacher who will do anything to help a student understand the material. This has everything to do with how Abdulkarim first learned at the same college he\u2019s teaching.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Abdulkarim first came to the United States from Yemen in 1977. He was working as a laborer in the GM plants for $2.69 an hour. He says he always came to class late because of the long shifts, often exceeding 12 hours.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that easy for someone to come from overseas and find these challenges,\u201d Abdulkarim said. \u201cBut it\u2019s a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Working to help support his family while going to school meant juggling more than was comfortable. But Abdulkarim talked about one professor who made the time a little easier.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHe was helping me in whatever I would miss,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019d share with me in terms of the lecture, in terms of material. And he knew I came from a different country. He knew and he was helping me out and giving me a lot of exercises to improve and advance.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On one of the first days as an instructor, Abdulkarim sat next to that same professor. And of course the professor remembered him and welcomed him to the community. \u201cIt gives me the feeling that I really appreciate the Henry Ford Community,\u201d Abdulkarim said. \u201cBecause they helped me big time. Big time.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Taha Abdulkarim\u2019s life and career is just one slice of what can be done within a program like Cisco\u2019s. In reality, people can work anywhere and even take the certification classes online. It\u2019s a challenge, as Abdulkarim will attest. But he\u2019ll also say that there\u2019s never been a better time to go into the IT field.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Cisco is adding big topics,\u201d Abdulkarim said. \u201cNew things like virtualizations, they\u2019re adding cybersecurity. So it\u2019s a big step for students that are interested in the IT field.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For anyone interested in computers, this can be another option for finding a career that fits anyone\u2019s interest in how computers communicate. But it\u2019s a long process that demands commitment to the subject. And oftentimes, it won\u2019t come easy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t just have the knowledge,\u201d Abdulkarim said. \u201cThe knowledge will come, you just have to have the patience. Maybe today you won\u2019t get it. But tomorrow, you will.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But as Taha Abdulkarim can show, the way to find a good career in a vast economy isn\u2019t always going to be the first thing someone finds. But if it\u2019s done right, it will always be the best jobs someone will have.<\/p>\n

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