Mohammad, a community leader in Owatonna, was born and raised in Pakistan. He arrived in the United States in the 1980s to pursue a business degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He was recently named vice president at Doherty Staffing Solutions, a national contract and temporary staffing firm.

Mohammad was recognized for developing skilled workforces for employers. He conceived and developed Doherty Academy, a partnership between Riverland Training and Development and Doherty Staffing Solutions. Doherty Academy provides career and technical training to the region, including forklift driving, soldering, welding, industrial maintenance and management, beginning Spanish for managers and safety training. More than 50 students have now graduated from the Doherty Academy. In addition, Mohammad has galvanized support for the Riverland Foundation from dozens of corporations for scholarships.

In 2005, he suggested Doherty Staffing Solutions sponsor an annual golf tournament for the Riverland Foundation with proceeds funding scholarships for Riverland students. Mohammad's leadership helped the two Doherty Scholarship Golf Classic events generate more than $30,000 for scholarships that funded students' participation in the Doherty Academy. The third tournament will be in June at the Owatonna Country Club.

Last summer, Mohammad worked with Owatonna community leaders to organize another successful golf tournament in memory of Liz Moen. The event, entitled The Circle of Friends, generated nearly $8,000 in scholarships for Riverland nursing students.

Mohammad serves as the vice president of the Minnesota Recruiting and Staffing Association, a member of the Workforce Development Initiative for Owatonna and as a board member for the Riverland Community College Foundation. He is the past chair of the Human Rights Commission for the City of Owatonna and is a frequent guest lecturer at Riverland and throughout the region on topics ranging from Industrial Trade to Sociology to Islam.

In his acceptance speech at Friday's commencement, Mohammad spoke of the mentors in his life, including Al Brown, Pat Robertson, and Val and Tim Doherty. He also told of a mentor from Pakistan. "When I was 21 years old, I found myself apprenticing for an accountant named Mr. Rizwani," Mohammad said. "This man meant the world to me. He was my mentor, and he treated me like a son. As long as I could remember, I dreamed of attending college in America. I told this man, my friend, my mentor, that I would be leaving him soon to obtain my education in the United States.

As I prepared to begin my new life as a college student in America, I began to wonder if this plan of mine was such a good idea. I knew college was expensive and I worried about my ability to pay. I knew that financing my education would be a struggle. My last day on the job arrived and I thanked Mr. Rizwani. We said our profound goodbyes. I shook his hand. He reached into the pocket of his suit coat and pulled out an envelope. Inside was a check. I will never forget that moment ever." Mohammad closed his speech by encouraging the graduates to thank the people who were influential in their lives. "No one gets here alone," he said. "Tonight, I call on you to find the people who brought you here, and thank them."

Riverland has awarded Honorary Degrees since 1998 every other year when a worthy recipient is identified. Mohammad joins eight other individuals who have received this honor.

Riverland Community College, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, is a regional comprehensive community college inspiring learning for living through a personalized educational environment. Approximately 4,000 students are served, annually, through a wide range of credit-based educational opportunities. An additional 5,600 students are annually served in non-credit courses. Facilities are located in Albert Lea, Austin, and Owatonna, Minn. Riverland may be found on the Internet at www.riverland.edu.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system comprises 32 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the higher education needs of Minnesota. The system serves about 250,000 students per year in credit-based courses and an additional 140,000 students in non-credit courses.

For more information on the Riverland Community College Foundation, and the upcoming Doherty Scholarship Golf Classic, please contact the Riverland Community College Foundation.

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