ELI grad reaches high

Hicham Hadni loves a challenge, big or small.

UD Doctoral student and ELI grad Hicham Hadni

Soon after arriving at ELI in 1999, the native Moroccan got his photograph on the wall of Cluck-U Chicken. His claim to fame? Downing a dish topped with the hottest “911” sauce the Main Street restaurant offers and surviving to tell the tale.

After five months at ELI, Hicham joined UD’s College of Business and Economics master’s program. When the campus Cosmopolitan Club needed new leadership, Hicham became its president and helped revive its traditional international night festivities by singing a North African song, his first-ever solo.

“I like teamwork,” he said. “I like the whole spirit of clubs. I had a great time.”

Standing a michaeljordanesque 6’6”, Hicham played on the college basketball team at the Ecole Supérieure de Gestion in Tunisia. And for his true love –– tennis –– his stature helped him earn the number one ranking by the United States Tennis Association for his level in Delaware.

But it was Hicham’s positive attitude that helped him reach other heights.

After entering UD’s doctoral program in economics, he was admitted to Omicron Delta Epsilon, an economics honor society.

He has taught statistics and microeconomics to UD undergrads and financial management to students in the MBA program at Widener University. He plans to defend his dissertation in international finance in spring 2005.

“Nothing is impossible,” he said, “as long as you put a goal in front of you and do whatever it takes.”

Friends can reach Hicham at hicham@udel.edu