Stars Among Us

Stars Among Us is are our annual fundraiser honoring outstanding first or second generation refugees or immigrants living in the United States. Our fundraiser supports scholarships for refugee students at the secondary school and collegiate levels. Since Stars among Us began, we have distributed approximately 137 scholarships to students from 16 countries of origin for a total of $111,000.00.















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The 2010 Honorees

For the past ten years, Stars among Us has honored many distinct personalities. The 2010 honorees are Mr. Ahmad Alyasin and Dr. Adil Najam.

Dr. Adil Najam

Dr. Adil Najam is a Pakistani immigrant who has become a leading scholar in the US. Dr. Najam was a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), work for which the IPCC was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Today he is the Frederick S. Pardee Professor of Global Public Policy and a Professor of International Relations and of Geography and Environment at Boston University. He also serves as the Director of the Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future.

In 2008, Najam was nominated by the United Nations Secretary General to serve on the United Nations Committee on Development Policy. In 2009, he was awarded one of Pakistan’s highest civil awards, the Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) medal by the President of Pakistan.

Prof. Najam has written nearly 100 scholarly papers and book chapters, and several books. He is an expert in international diplomacy and development. His research interests include sustainable development, Muslim and South Asian politics, environmental politics in developing countries, and philanthropy among immigrant communities in the United States. States.

Mr. Ahmad Alysin

Mr. Ahmad Alyasin has been a leader in the local Arab and Jordanian communities. Mr. Alyasin arrived in Houston from Jordan in 1977 and started his first business in 1981. His current business, Optima Global Financial, Inc., provides financial advisory services to publicly-traded companies in the United States, specializing in initial public offerings. Mr. Alyasin is well-known for his community service. He focuses much of his energy on cross-cultural exchange, encouraging investment in Jordan and providing essential information to travelers. He was among the founders of the Jordanian American Association and today serves as its President. He is President of the Arab American Cultural and Community Center. Mr. Alyasin served three years on Advisory Committees for Mayor Lee Brown and Mayor Bill White and is a member of Rotary International. He arranged the services in Houston to honor the death of His Majesty King Hussein and has been recognized multiple times by Jordanian officials. For his exceptional involvement in the community, he received an award for “Outstanding Service” from the Houston Police Department.

The United Way of Greater Houston and Taiwanese Heritage Society

We are honoring the United Way of Greater Houston and the Taiwanese Heritage Society of Houston. The long-term support of these organizations has been critical to enabling our agency to serve the community for 25 years.

The mission of the United Way is to increase the organized capacity of people to care for themselves and others and to mobilize our community to make lasting improvements in critical needs areas. The United Way is truly a Star Among Us, operating with the highest degree of professionalism, compassion, and determination as they strive to fulfill their mission.

The mission of the Taiwanese Heritage Society is to provide community services to the greater Houston area, to conduct programs to promote general public's understanding of Taiwanese culture and heritage, and, to foster education of Taiwanese culture and heritage.

We want to thank the United Way and the Taiwanese Heritage Society for believing in us and allowing us to help them reach their goals and ours.