Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
STEM
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
STEM

From Syrian Immigrant to Syracuse Grad: Hani Sulieman ’16, Electrical Engineering

Monday, July 18, 2016, By Matt Wheeler
Share
alumniCollege of Engineering and Computer Science

As the revolution took hold in Syria, Hani Sulieman parted ways with his family and began a dangerous drive to the airport, not knowing if he would ever see them again. The roads he traveled were haunted by snipers and bore the scars of conflict. When he arrived at the airport, his cab was stopped by an army garrison. They demanded to know his destination. He told them Egypt. As someone who was of an age to be drafted, it was far too big a risk to admit that his final destination was the United States to escape the increasingly dangerous situation and continue his electrical engineering degree at an American university. With palpable fear for himself and his family, he departed on the final flight from Aleppo International Airport. To this day, the airport has never truly reopened.

Hani Sulieman

Hani Sulieman

When Sulieman arrived in Syracuse three years ago he felt safe and free, yet out of place. Most of his knowledge of life in the U.S. was derived from American movies he’d devoured growing up. He moved in with his aunt and uncle. Prospects for continuing his education were slim. He couldn’t resume his studies because his immigration paperwork needed to go through a lengthy approval process and he couldn’t speak English fluently. As far as the paperwork goes, there was nothing else he could do but wait and hope. In the meantime, he set out to learn English on his own.

“My aunt would drop me off at Barnes & Noble from morning until night. I would read magazines. Time magazine is my favorite. I used to read it and write things down. It took six months for me to learn to speak the language.”

Once fluent, and with his immigration paperwork at long last complete, he was admitted to the College of Engineering and Computer Science as a transfer student. With a commitment to his coursework and the guidance of faculty like Associate Professor Duane Marcy, Sulieman thrived. Three years after he first arrived in the United States, he has earned a degree in electrical engineering —graduating summa cum laude with an eagerness to apply his technical knowledge to the engineering profession.

Sulieman says, “Both my parents are engineers so it is probably in my DNA, but really everything is related to engineering somehow. You can do so much with technology and the internet nowadays. Every day, engineers are creating something new.”

Today, he is relieved to call the U.S. home. And, in a happy ending suitable for an American movie, the parents he left behind in Syria joined him in Syracuse in time to see him graduate. His two sisters have also fled the chaos of their homeland—settling in Minnesota and Spain. While his next steps are uncertain for the time being, he takes solace in knowing that he and his loved ones have escaped a land in turmoil for a home of promise, equality and freedom, where opportunity abounds.

  • Author

Matt Wheeler

  • Recent
  • Message from Chancellor Kent Syverud
    Tuesday, April 20, 2021, By News Staff
  • Make the Most of Your Wellness Day | Public Health Reminders
    Tuesday, April 20, 2021, By News Staff
  • Falk Professor Advocates for Including Autistic Adults in Research That Shapes Their World
    Monday, April 19, 2021, By Matt Michael
  • Campus Resources Available for Faculty, Staff and Students
    Monday, April 19, 2021, By News Staff
  • Call to Volunteer: Give Back at The Big Event
    Monday, April 19, 2021, By News Staff

More In STEM

Fusion of Art and Science Leads to Discovery

Robert Wysocki arrived at Syracuse University in 2008, having made a name in the art world by capturing landscapes in three dimensions. Known for large sand sculptures showcased in galleries from Los Angeles to Florida, Wysocki’s inspiration began on a…

Bioengineering Ph.D. Student Receives National Recognition for Breakthrough Molecular Computational Tool

Nandhini Rajagopal’s accomplishments are massive even though her research focuses on small molecules. As part of biomedical and chemical engineering Professor Shikha Nangia’s research group, the Ph.D. student has focused her work on minute interactions between protein molecules in the…

New Study From Department of Biology Highlights Ways to Support Students in Virtual Learning Environments

The mass migration to virtual learning that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic led to a profound change in student learning. While it presented many challenges, it also created opportunities for documenting responses. Two researchers from the Department of Biology in…

Research Computing: A Decade of Discovery on Campus

Do you need more computing power to move your work forward? Since 2011, the Research Computing team within Information Technology Services (ITS) has helped faculty and staff tackle computational challenges beyond the capabilities of a normal desktop or laptop computer. Each…

Engineering Professor Shobha Bhatia Receives 2021 Judith Greenberg Seinfeld Scholar Award

Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Shobha Bhatia has been honored by Chancellor Kent Syverud with a 2021 Judith Greenberg Seinfeld Scholar award. The award recognizes exceptional creativity and a passion for excellence. It provides $10,000 for Bhatia to undertake an…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2021 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.