A Warm Welcome from President George Spann
Thomas President George Spann details Dan’s epic journey during a news conference on March 7, 2007.

Welcome to Thomas, thank you for coming today. This story began on December 14, 2006 with a young man in Baghdad.

Dan Harris of ABC World News prepared a story about an Iraqi teenager—whose name is also Dan—who was trapped in the war-torn country of Iraq, fearing for his life on a daily basis, and with little hope for his future. During the videotaping for the ABC interview, gun shots rang out near the young man’s school yard.

The story aired on World News and caught the attention of Paul J. Schupf, a friend of Thomas’ and a 2005 honorary-degree recipient. Paul contacted me and made a commitment to provide a full scholarship and transportation to the U.S. for Dan. As a result, the Paul J. Schupf Scholarship Fund for Iraqi Students was established in 2006. Paul’s decision to provide financial support for a scholarship fund for Iraqi students was borne out of his endorsement of Thomas’ vision that all individuals are deserving of a higher education and better way of life.

I then contacted ABC and later spoke to Dan Harris in Iraq to relay our interest and commitment in enrolling Dan at Thomas. Soon thereafter, senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins contacted me and offered assistance in getting Dan to the states. With the help of members their staffs, we expedited the process of getting Dan to Jordan to apply for his student visa and then to the US.

Dan arrived in Maine on Friday, March 2 and then came to the Thomas campus on Saturday, March 3.

I offer a warm thank you to Senator Olympia Snowe, Senator Susan Collins and their staff for their exceptional assistance. I also extent a heartfelt thank you to ABC and Dan Harris for their excellent efforts. We are delighted to have Dan here with us today, as the newest member of the student body at Thomas and the class of 2011.

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