PHOTO BY DANIEL LIPPITT

From Baku To Big Ten

A recent immigrant wins a HIAS scholarship to U-M.

JULIE WIENER STAFF WRITER

I

t did not take Farage Yusupov long to
adjust to life in the United States.
Yusupov and his mother, Berta, ar-
rived from Baku, Azerbaijan in 1995.
One year later, the Farmington Hills
resident was graduating from Harrison
High School with several awards for aca-
demic excellence and an acceptance let-
ter to the University of Michigan.
Now looking forward to his sophomore
year at U-M, 18-year-old Yusupov was
one of 86 Jewish immigrants nationwide
to win a $1,000 scholarship from the He-
brew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS).
According to Sally Hespe, associate di-
rector of membership and board services
at HIAS in New York, competition for
these scholarships is stiff, with 570 stu-
dents applying this year. Scholarships
are awarded on the basis of financial
need, academic ability and Jewish com-
munity involvement.
The fact that Yusupov came to the
United States with a strong education
and knowledge of English helped with
the transition. But converting his book
knowledge of English to' an ability to un-
derstand his American teachers took
some work, as did the adjustment to a
new culture.

"It got a lot easier after a few
months," he said, adding that from
the beginning his goal was to prepare
for college in an American universi-
ty.
In fact, while many Jewish immi-
grants from the former Soviet Union
have come to escape anti-Semitism,
Yusupov said that he and his mother
— a physician — were motivated
more by a quest for increased educa-
tional and career opportunities.
"Anti-Semitism [in Azerbaijan] is
not as obvious, not as bad as in Rus-
sia," he said. "But there was a gener-
al feeling that in the United States,
with such diversity, there would be
more opportunities for me as a Jew."
Not only does Yusupov see more ca-
reer opportunities in the United
States than in Azerbaijan, he is
pleased with the array of social and Farage Yusupov: More opportunities in the U.S.
cultural options in the Jewish com-
It was Yusupov's government teacher
munity.
at Harrison, Bernard Goldstein, who di-
"In Azerbaijan, we attended syna- rected him to U-M. "He influenced me a
gogue, but there wasn't a lot going on," lot," said Yusupov. "I didn't know which
he said. Now he enjoys playing basket- schools were good, which to apply to."
ball at the Maple-Drake Jewish Com-
Goldstein spoke highly of his former
munity Center and participating in student. "He's a very outgoing, friendly
activities at the U-M Hillel.

person," he said. "He'll be a success at
whatever he does."
Yusupov hopes that "whatever" will be
a career in corporate law. A member of
the Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity
at U-M, he is planning on a double ma-
jor in sociology and English. 111

UNIVERSAL WATCH REPAIR

LARGEST FACILITY IN MICHIGAN

SPECIALIZING IN

REPAIR

r

CHAIN OR
BRACELET
SOLDERING
ONE WEEK ONLY!

L

Tist)1 Golleettov

286 West Maple • Birmingham

(810) 540-1977

44 ,

Mon.-Sat. 10-5:30 • Thurs. 10-9

One solder per coupon, expires 8/6/97

J

DIAMONDS
SEEN BY APPOINTMENT

Exclusive agent for Universal Geneve

(810) 358-2211

28411 NORTHWESTERN HWY.
AT BECK RD. SUITE 250
SOUTHFIELD, MI

BECK

—

190 1111

696

