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Spring 2011 Commencement Profile Marc Abdelnour
5/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
May 4, 2011
BOCA RATON, FL - Marc Abdelnour's motivation and inquisitive nature have proven beneficial to him both on and off the tennis court. As FAU's top men's tennis player for the past three years, Abdelnour, 22, has achieved great success in both the classroom and in the Sun Belt Conference. He graduates with a bachelor's degree in business administration majoring in finance on Thursday, May 5, at 9 a.m., from Florida Atlantic University's College of Business.
A native of Aleppo, Syria, Abdelnour began playing tennis at the age of 8. His dream of advancing his tennis career led him to southern France, where he attended high school at a tennis academy. Since American universities allow their students to study and play tennis at the same time, Abdelnour moved to Florida in 2007 to attend FAU in order to play tennis year-round, as well as learn from the professional players who practice here.
Abdelnour's collegiate career is one for the record books. He is one of six, in a field of more than 70 players, to have earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors three times, with his most recent recognition taking place this year. A team captain, he is nationally ranked in both singles and doubles tennis and was named the University's 2011 "Male Athlete of the Year." Tennis coach Brandon Stokes calls Abdelnour "the heart of the FAU team" not only for his tennis prowess, but also for his character.
In March, Abdelnour represented Syria as the country's top tennis player, winning a match against South Korea in the Davis Cup competition - the first time a Syrian player has won a match in the Group 2 category.
Abdelnour's academic interests reside in the field of economics and world events. These topics, as well as his love for mathematics, led him to choose finance as his major in FAU's College of Business.
"I believe Marc's motivation to succeed, excellent communications skills and strong character are what separate him from the other exceptional students I've encountered," says Oksana Weaver, Abdelnour's undergraduate adviser at FAU. "His breadth of knowledge and maturity reach well beyond his years."
Abdelnour's long-term goals include seeking a master's degree in business administration. However, he plans to pursue professional tennis for at least the next two years. His home base will be the tennis academy he attended in France, with the hopes of playing in more than 25 international tournaments a year.
Abdelnour credits his father, a cardiologist who studied in France, and his mother, an engineer who studied at the University of Michigan, for both of their support in allowing him to go to France and the United States to pursue tennis.
"Syrian players leave the country at age 18," he said. "I'm really thankful to my parents for everything they did. They helped my family and me a lot and made many sacrifices for all of us."
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