Malhas Family Gifts

Mr. and Mrs. Ammar Malhas know the value of a Franklin College education, having entrusted both of their daughters to the College as students. Zein Malhas '07 served as valedictorian of her class. Taroub Malhas graduated with academic excellence and was one of the top valedictorian candidates in her graduating class of 2005. In recognition of their daughters’ accomplishments and in view of the current needs of the school to provide secure on-campus housing for its growing student body, Mr. and Mrs. Malhas presented a gift to President Nielsen and Chairman Lowerre to support the building of the new student residence. In honor of their support for the building project, a room in the new residence hall will be named the Malhas Room.

It seems a natural fit for the Malhas family to support the building project. Mr. Malhas was the engineer responsible for building the King Hussein Ben Talal Mosque and the King’s Academy in his home country of Jordan. His daughter Taroub is currently working for a Jordanian NGO focused on prevention of child abuse, while Zein is working for a Jordanian bank and studying for the Chartered Financial Advisor designation. Mr. Malhas has recently joined the Franklin College Board of Trustees, becoming its first Middle Eastern representative. For more information on the new building project and additional naming opportunities, please see Naming Opportunities.

Supporting Diversity through Scholarships at Franklin College

A core fiber woven through the fabric of a Franklin College education is diversity. Through interaction with individuals from other cultures, races, political structures, religious and socio-economic backgrounds, Franklin students gain a greater appreciation for the multiplicity of the global environment in which we live. Achieving appropriate representation of various socio-economic backgrounds is often difficult with the increasing costs of higher education, and this representation is a critical component of the broad spectrum we hope to provide to our students. Financial support for these gifted students impacts not only their lives but also the lives of their fellow classmates.

Recently, Mr. and Mrs. Malhas have made an indelible mark on Franklin College by establishing an annual scholarship fund that will provide financial support for outstanding Franklin College students who might otherwise not be able to return to the College. The funds will be available to help defray the costs of tuition, books, fees and housing. Because these bright young students contribute to the intellectual fabric of the College, Mr. and Mrs. Malhas have graciously committed to providing assistance for them in their educational pursuits at Franklin. To learn more about scholarships and the tremendous impact this support can have on a student, please see Scholarships, or to make a contribution to the Malhas Scholarships, please see Make a Gift.