Have you ever looked at someone and knew that person was going to do great things? I saw a person like that on Monday, and her name is Roa Saleh.

At the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College board of trustees meeting on Monday, Saleh, a RCCC student, was recognized for winning a $1,000 scholarship as a 2015 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar, a scholarship given by the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society.

The scholarship was pretty competitive; Saleh was one of 207 PTK members to receive the scholarship out of more than 1,100 applications worldwide.

Ginger Fox, an English instructor and PTK’s co-advisor, said Saleh’s award list was a page long.

“We benefit from Roa’s dedication to excellence and innovation. She reaches out to others to show them how their lives can benefit from hard work, determination and volunteerism,” she said.

On top of her numerous awards and recognitions, Saleh was also a student ambassador during the 2014-2015 school year and has volunteered in many college and community projects, all while holding a current grade point average of 3.9.

As a student ambassador, Saleh reached out to prospective students, led campus tours, helped promote and participated in different campus events and helped new students transition to RCCC.

Fox read some excerpts from Saleh’s application essays to give the attendees of the meeting a better understanding of Saleh’s dedication and passions.

“I want to become an international doctor and travel to developing countries to treat illnesses and conduct medical exams,” Fox read. “My dream is to establish a non-profit organization that will aid both homeless communities in the United States and people in rural environments.”

Saleh also wrote that she wanted to someday establish a fund for refugees who cannot afford education and health care.

Saleh said one of her short-term community service goals was to work with the younger generation.

“I want to empower the younger generation so that they can become strong leaders in their communities, help others in need and educate the next generation,” Fox read.

Saleh also wrote about how important experiences are for curiosity and innovation. She said this year, that experience for her was the invasive species clean-up at Catawba College’s Center for the Environment. The experience made her realize the importance of research in medicine.

“I soon came to realize that being a doctor is not always about finding solutions to certain illnesses by prescribing medication or conducting surgeries, rather it is about the original sources that cause such disorders,” Fox read.

As a co-advisor for PTK, Fox was just glowing with pride for Selah’s accomplishments. She even said she hoped Selah would come back to be a keynote speaker sometime in the future at a PTK induction ceremony.

Saleh has many aspirations and all of them are for the advancement of the world around her and the world abroad. She definitely has her work cut out for her, but she seems to have the drive to go all the way.

Fox said it best when she called Saleh inspiring.

“I’m privileged to meet with dozens of inspiring Rowan-Cabarrus students and Roa Saleh is one of them,” Fox said.

Contact reporter Amanda Raymond at 704-797-4222.