WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 (UPI) — The Muslim teen who was suspended for bringing his handmade clock to school will leave the United States for an education in Qatar, the family said.
Ahmed Mohamed, 14, and his family will be leaving their home in Irving, Texas, so the teen can accept a scholarship from a foundation in the nation of Qatar, on the Persian Gulf. The decision came a few hours after Mohamed met with President Barack Obama on the South Lawn of the White House at the president’s second Astronomy Night, an event encouraging kids to follow careers in science.
“After careful consideration of all the generous offers received, we would like to announce that we have accepted a kind offer from Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development for Ahmed to join the prestigious QF Young Innovators Program, which reflects the organization’s ongoing dedication to empowering young people and fostering a culture of innovation and creativity,” the family said Tuesday in a news release.
Mohamed will receive a full scholarship for the rest of his high school education, as well as for a four-year college.
In September, Mohamed was led away from his school in handcuffs and suspended after school staff mistook a digital clock he’d made for a bomb. Though no charges were filed, the suspension remained. Mohamed’s parents withdrew him from the school.
The story made international news and galvanized support for the teen. He got offers from tech companies, was invited to the Google Science Fair, met with foreign dignitaries at the United Nations, appeared on the Doctor Oz show and on Monday went to the White House. He visited the QF last month.
Mohamed was among a group of 300 people at the astronomy event. The guest list included 11 astronauts, Bill Nye the Science Guy, the hosts of the TV showMythbusters and the head of NASA. The president excluded the teen from his comments about particular students in the audience, but spent a few minutes talking with him afterward.
Ahmed’s 19-year-old sister Eyman told NBC News the scrutiny from the suspension has cut both ways for the teen.
“It’s like now he’s motivated to work harder than ever before, because people are going to be waiting to see what happened to that 14-year-old kid,” she said, adding, “It’s been really hard. Everything happens for a reason, but there’s so much stuff being said that isn’t true.”
Ahmed, in the family’s statement, had his own thoughts on why he accepted the scholarship.
“I loved the city of Doha because it’s so modern. I saw so many amazing schools there, many of them campuses of famous American universities. The teachers were great. I think I will learn a lot and have fun, too,” he said.
