Omaha Benson High School senior receives D.J.'s Hero Scholarship Award
Zakreya Abughalyoon, a senior at Benson, is one of 16 recipients of the D.J.'s Hero Scholarship Award
Zakreya Abughalyoon, a senior at Benson, is one of 16 recipients of the D.J.'s Hero Scholarship Award
Zakreya Abughalyoon, a senior at Benson, is one of 16 recipients of the D.J.'s Hero Scholarship Award
Zakreya Abughalyoon is one of the 16 recipients of this year's $12,000 D.J.’s Hero Awards Scholarships.
"I was really happy that now I don't have to think about my financial situation during my college," Abughalyoon said.
Abughalyoon is a senior at Benson High School in Omaha but life before being a senior at Benson wasn't easy. Zack and his family fled to Jordan from the war in Syria as a young child by crossing the desert at night.
"Walking in the desert at night is not fun because there's lots of plants and rocks and you couldn't turn any lights on because that would be too dangerous to the group," Abughalyoon said.
Once in Jordan, their family lived in a refugee camp in a hot tent.
"The feeling of safety made it worth it," Abughalyoon said.
Despite the feeling of safety, living conditions were tough, forcing Abughalyoon and his family to flee into the city where they later got the opportunity to come to the United States in 2016. It was something their family and friends were unsure about and ultimately said no. Despite his dad originally saying no, that all changed when it came time to make their decision real.
"My dad went in there and they were like sign this paper that you won't go to the U.S., and he was like no I'm going, it was an in-the-moment decision," Abughalyoon said.
Once in the states, learning English was next, which is a tall task considering it is the opposite of the Arabic alphabet. That proved no problem for Abughalyoon, who now acts as a translator for his family and the Syrian community in Omaha.
"It's something I feel proud of. I like to help others, it's something I really like. When I get to do that and feel their happiness when everything is done is something that makes you feel happy," Abughalyoon said.
Abughalyoon's next goal is to become a radiologist tech in the future. He found his passion for X-rays and CTs while watching his dad go through many of them at the hospital after a serious motorbike injury. It’s a field he is already shadowing at CHI hospitals thanks to a program at Benson.
"It's something I really like, and Radiology would be a good start for me to start helping others," Abughalyoon said.
The Benson senior is set to continue that dream at the University of Nebraska Omaha next fall. The luncheon to honor the DJ’s Hero Awards Class of 2024 will be on Tuesday.