Osama Ai Hamwi and his siblings moved to America from Syria when the Syrian civil war escalated.

Osama Ai Hamwi’s story isn’t your typical student’s story. Most grew up in a surrounding town of the college with a normal American family life and schooling. On Sept. 26, 1991, Osama was born in Damascus, Syria where he grew up with his three sisters and brother. He played soccer as a child and went to a high school where students take over ten subjects a semester. Where Osama comes from, the educational system determines your career/major for you. Basically, the scores you earn on your high school finals dictate your future.

Ai Hamwi believed he had more potential than these tests proved, so he decided to come to the United States for his senior year of high school. He went to Hinsdale South where his hard work lead him to a 4.7 GPA. This gave him the tools he needed to pursue a dentistry career back in Syria. So in 2009, he had graduated high school and went on to the International University of Science and Technology, which was around 45 minutes away from his home in Syria. Within two years though, the Syrian civil war currently going on had escalated and Ai Hamwi’s parents encouraged him to return to the states to continue his studies. On Sept. 10 of this year, he moved in with his sister in Willowbrook to attend COD.

“My counselor from Hinsdale South told me that this college would be a great choice for me to get my career started,” commented Ai Hamwi.

Osama is now taking Chemistry, Pre-Calculus, and grammar classes. He plans on visiting UIC, Benedictine, Loyola, and many other schools to decide where he like to go after COD. Ai Hamwi Skpes with his family everyday and likes to swim during his free time. He hopes to experience more of America and all it has to offer as he continues his education here.