Ibrahim Awad, the oldest of six children, has always been a superior student, trying to set a good example for his three younger brothers and two younger sisters.

As the son of a Palestinian who came to the U.S. to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Ibrahim plans to follow in his father’s footsteps in many ways, especially when it comes to dedication and hard work.

“My father was born in a Lebanese refugee camp and later went to Georgia Tech where he earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering,” says Ibrahim, noting that during one semester his father took an intense 27-hour class load yet earned remarkably high grades.

“He’s an inspiration to me,” he says. “Here’s someone who’s had many more hardships than I’ve ever had, and yet he has excelled in everything he does. He’s shown me that if you believe you can do it, you can.”

At age 19, Ibrahim has shown that he can do just about anything he’s put his mind to as well.

As one of only three students from his high school graduating class to earn an International Baccalaureate Diploma, Ibrahim excelled in and out of the classroom at Dalton High, serving as President of the National Honor Society, and as a member of the Mock Trial Team, Academic Bowl, the Math Team, the Drama Club, the Spanish National Honor Society and the National Society of High School Scholars, just to name a few.

And at Dalton State, as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Ibrahim is devoting long hours to studying for a very honorable cause.

“I want to achieve as high a GPA as I can, because getting into law school can be extremely difficult,” says Ibrahim, who is majoring in English.

“I don’t want anything to interfere with my dreams.”

Enrolled in 17 credit hours this fall, Ibrahim expects to graduate from Dalton State in May, finish his bachelor’s in English at Kennesaw State University, take the LSAT exam, and enter law school in a few short years.

So far, he’s earned a 3.85 grade point average and was awarded The Wayne E. Bell Memorial Scholarship of $1200 for this academic year.

“I’m really glad I came to Dalton State for my first college experience,” he says. “I really like the atmosphere here. You get more one-on-one with your professors than you do at a lot of other universities.”

Ibrahim has especially enjoyed classes with Dr. Kent Harrelson, Associate Professor of English, Ms. Kara Allara, Instructor in Mathematics, and Ms. Barbara Tucker, Assistant Professor in Speech.

“I’ve really enjoyed their classes, but I’ve liked almost every class I’ve taken here,” he says.

In college, Ibrahim is devoting most of his time to studying, but he does find time to pursue his interest in martial arts. He still competes in tournaments, and this spring placed second in the nation in his division (the 18-34 year old Middleweight Fighting Division) in a national tournament.

And when he’s not in school, he can be found working for his family’s business, Joker’s Audio, an electronic audio shop which is run by his father, Ibrahim, and his three younger brothers, aged 17, 16, and 15.

At work, he wears many hats, particularly that of a sales representative, but he also serves in a management capacity and even as an installer of the mobile audio equipment. He is also involved in creating and updating the business website, jokersaudio.net by regulating and promoting his company’s products and services online.

“I’ve developed a number of skills through the business that I think will be useful in my career.”

His career plans are to practice law, a goal ignited by his involvement on the Mock Trial Team in high school and his work with the District Attorney’s office this past summer.

“Being on the Mock Trial Team gave me a taste of what it would be like to practice criminal law,” he says. “I love standing in front of a crowd and arguing. I love the debate; it’s really fun. But probably the best part is wearing a suit. It’s a really great feeling.”