EMU Today

YPSILANTI —Rana Aabed, of Farmington Hills, Mich., is one of 21 students to receive the Presidential Scholarship at Eastern Michigan University for the 2020-2021 academic year.

The Presidential Scholarship is a four-year award that pays for 30 credit hours per year of in-state tuition, housing, a food allowance and mandatory fees.

During her time at EMU, Rana plans to pursue a degree in psychology with a concentration in behavior analysis and a minor in biology.

In high school, Rana was involved in the National Honor Society, Student Council, Buddies, the annual culture shock fashion show, and freshman mentoring, and she served as head of new student orientation, JV lacrosse captain, Spanish club ambassador, and senior class president. She also qualified for the Health Occupations Students of America state competition and engaged in numerous volunteer activities, including work with nursing homes and soup kitchens.

She also served on multiple volunteer committees in her mosque community. Rana plans to attend PA school, become a Physician's Assistant, and eventually work with children on the autism spectrum.

Presidential Scholars are selected during Eastern Michigan University’s Presidential Scholarship Competition, held in December during a student’s senior year of high school. Awards are highly competitive and based on many factors, including an essay and multiple rounds of interviews. To qualify for the competition, high school seniors must have at least a 3.5 GPA and a minimum of a 25 ACT or 1130 SAT.

For more information, please visit the Presidential Scholarship website.

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves nearly 18,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering and Technology; Health and Human Services; and, its graduate school. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.