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Jackson High grad makes Forbes 2024 '30-Under-30' list for marketing, charity efforts

www.mlive.com 03-01-2024 01:53 3 Minutes reading
JACKSON, MI -- Sikander "Sonny" Khan's penchant for altruism and community service has been well-known in the Jackson community for years. Now, others nationwide are taking notice. Khan, 25, was named in December as one of 2024's nominees for the Forbes "30 Under 30'' list in the category of "marketing and advertising." The Jackson High School and University of Michigan graduate was recognized by Forbes for his role in creating and executing marketing strategies for Microsoft's Bing search engine -- particularly the engine's AI-powered chatbot "Copilot." Khan's work has been instrumental in helping the search engine reach up to 100 million daily active users, officials said. "As the technology landscape evolves, being at the forefront of developments in AI -- particularly with the rise of ChatGPT -- has been both exciting and rewarding," Khan said. "I find genuine fulfillment in working on projects like Copilot -- where the potential for generational change is tangible. The ability to play a part in shaping tools that make the world more productive fuels my passion for this field." Khan joined Microsoft shortly after he graduated from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business in 2020, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. While at college, Khan founded the Paani Project, a nonprofit committed to addressing the critical need for clean water in underserved communities across rural Pakistan -- the home-country of Khan's parents before they immigrated to the U.S. The name "Paani" translates to "water" in Urdu -- symbolizing the nonprofit's mission, Khan said. Since its founding in 2017, the nonprofit has completed more than 20,000 projects -- including the construction of more than 15,000 wells -- benefiting more than 1 million disadvantaged people in Pakistan, Khan said. "The impact extends beyond water, encompassing initiatives like aiding local clinics, building schools for refugees and empowering women and children through improved sanitation and educational support," Khan said. "With over $6 million raised, the Paani Project stands as a testament to the collective power of community-driven initiatives." The project had humble beginnings, with early projects including bake sales on the University of Michigan campus with the aim of raising money to fund the building of wells in Pakistan. What started as a simple initiative has since evolved into a global organization, Khan said. Khan said his experiences growing up in poverty and engaging in volunteer projects while attending Jackson High laid the groundwork for many of his personal values, and instilled in him a commitment to use any privilege or platform he had to create positive change. "During that time, the intention for my service became clear -- to go beyond short-term impact and work on projects with lasting, generational significance," Khan said. "This mindset carried forward as I entered college and still exists. But it was in my young experiences volunteering across Jackson that I learned the importance of driving impact, and those lessons continue to guide my endeavors." Khan's community service started in 2014 with the Allegiance Health Summer Youth Program. Throughout his time in high school, Khan served in several volunteer positions at the hospital his father was taken to after he suffered a stroke. He also spent several hours ever week at Jackson's RidgeCrest Health Campus setting up technology for senior citizen residents to use, and was a peer mentor for Jackson Public Schools students making the transition from middle to high school. Khan -- the son of Murad and Mujahida Khan of Jackson -- has been recognized on several occasions for his drive to help those around him. In 2016, Khan was named the MLive/Jackson Citizen Patriot 2016 "Youth Citizen of the Year" for the persistence and strength he demonstrated through his volunteer service. Youth Citizen of the Year: 'His desire to help comes directly from his heart' Later that year, Khan was the recipient of the "good-through-graduation" Gates Millennium Scholarship, as well as the prestigious Horatio Alger National Scholarship. His philanthropic activities also earned him the title of "2019 Student of the Year" from The Michigan Daily, the University of Michigan's student newspaper.

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Jim Harbaugh, Michigan football national champions...
13.01.24 11:27
by mlive.com

Jim Harbaugh, Michigan football national champions parade through Ann Arbor

ANN ARBOR, MI - Shirtless 300-pound linemen. Cowboy hats. A Toucan Sam mascot, for some reason. Most importantly, accolades from Michigan football's national championship season, including running back Blake Corum's "Business is Finished" shirt. The Wolverines, fresh off Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship Game victory, paraded through Ann Arbor near campus on Saturday, Jan. 13, to celebrate the title with thousands of cheering fans. The parade started at 4 p.m. at President Santa Ono's house on South University, turned onto South State Street and ended after a little less than an hour at the team facility at Schembechler Hall. With police escorts bookending the parade, the celebration was led by the Michigan Marching Band only a couple of weeks removed from their performance at the Rose Parade in Pasadena before the Rose Bowl. In between the escorts were members of the football team standing on the backs of pickup trucks as they slowly moved down the street. Some of the vehicles were vintage firetrucks from the Michigan Firehouse Museum in Ypsilanti. With wind and snow swirling, offensive linemen, such as Trevor Keegan, Giovanni El-Hadi and Karsen Barnhart, opted to brave the conditions without shirts. Keegan caught a beverage thrown to him by a fan and chugged it amid roars from the crowd. Keegan was in one of the final cars at the back of the parade alongside Corum, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, head coach Jim Harbaugh and others. Some of the loudest cheers came with this group, as well as Harbaugh's signature "Who's got it better than us...Nobody!" chant. For fans such as Stephanie Frankel, the parade was a throwback to the one she attended as a freshman at University of Michigan after the program's last national championship in 1997. That team split the title with Nebraska, while the 2023 team won the title outright, making Saturday's parade more special. "It was different then also because we didn't know until the next day that we were national champions," she said, pointing to the coaches and Associated Press polls that decided champions at the time. "It's also amazing to be celebrating now with my family versus when I was a freshman," she said, surrounded by numerous children, family and friends. Some of Frankel's children are old enough to understand the Wolverines have come a long way to reach this pinnacle of success. It was 10 years ago that former coach Brady Hoke's last team was 5-7, and it was less than four years ago in 2020 that the team went 2-4. "This has been what we've been waiting for," her husband Andy Frankel said. "To be able to experience these last six weeks, from the Ohio State game to the Rose Bowl to the national championship, with your children with the joy and excitement in their eyes, it was exciting." Adam Kellman was a cheerleader in the 1980s when Harbaugh was the Wolverines' quarterback. Those years under Bo Schembechler were successful, including a Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl appearance, but this year's title is on an...

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