SE Michigan
Jamil’s life was one rich with potential and experience—imparted and encouraged through his family. Jamil was fearless, a natural at everything & had a level of self-confidence that many have only achieved in their professional environment. He had it in all environments. During the last year of his life, Jamil provided a positive reinforcement and spiritual support to those around him. He had a tremendous effect on his classmates, cousins, and his general community. In a nutshell, he was a world leader wrapped into a 14 year old person.
Those who knew Jamil, knew his affinity for questions – heavy posers, not simple ‘why’ or ‘why not.’ He also was a jokester and social butterfly, someone who “was forever making everybody smile.”
A student at Baker International Baccalaureate Middle School. With a natural curiosity to learn coupled with his love of both science he also enjoyed participating in the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) as well as the SEMAA Program. Jamil developed an interest in pursuing a career as an architect at an early age, I believe he was 9 or 10 years old at the time. Jamil had an interest in big buildings and the way that cities were developed. He asked questions about urban planning and why housing, office buildings, manufacturing hubs and retail centers were spaced out and placed as they were. Because of his travel with his mother, he got a chance to see the differences of how buildings were developed in all regions of the country, including Puerto Rico. I bought him designing software when he was 12, so he could work on creating his own buildings and structures. Jamil used the design feature in Mindcraft to build digital replica models of Breslin Center, Ford Field and the former Joe Louis Arena.
Jamil and his brother planned to attend College in California, with Jamil attending Stanford University to study Architecture and his brother attending USC to study Marine Biology. They were going to save the world together. It is with that impact that we are honored to have the Jamil Nadir Foster Memorial Scholarship administered by the ACE Mentor program.
