On a campus filled with amazing human-interest stories, Ibrahim Abdul-Qadir stands out for what he does both inside and outside the classroom. He's a senior at the Syracuse Academy of Science who became a full-time student at Onondaga Community College during the fall 2025 semester, and did well enough to be named to the Provost's List (grade point average between 3.4 and 3.69).
When he's not in class or doing homework, he's training for his next kickboxing tournament. It's a sport in which he is among the best in the world for his age. Last year, he was ranked number one in the North American Karate Association circuit in the age 16-17 group. "I was born punching and kicking. I have pictures of me doing this at three or four years old."
Kickboxing excellence runs in the family. His 21-year-old sister is also a successful kickboxer, and both are coached by their father, who is a kickboxing teacher and trainer. "I started competing in local tournaments when I was four or five," said Ibrahim. "Around eight or nine, when I was able to qualify for bigger tournaments, I started going to other states or countries."
Among the list of countries he's traveled to and competed in are Italy, Ireland, Belgium, the UK, France, Guatemala, Mexico, Chile, and Ecuador. He's also traveled to his mother's home country of Cambodia for training. Tight schedules while traveling and competing don't allow for a lot of sightseeing, but Abdul-Qadir makes the time to hold clinics so he can educate locals about kickboxing. "Everywhere we've gone, people have been very accepting. Being able to teach people our style of kickboxing has been really inspiring. It's a really big thing for me to be able to share knowledge wherever I go."
Abdul-Qadir's extensive world travel is possible thanks to a sponsorship from Top Ten USA, a manufacturer of kickboxing protective gear. Balancing his kickboxing schedule with his coursework is challenging, but he says he gets a lot of support from the OCC campus. "My professors have been very accommodating. They are very accepting of my schedule and are always willing to work with me."
In between classes, he can often be found in the Early College Pathways office on the 3rd floor of the Whitney Applied Technology Center. "It's a nice community there. I like hanging out with the other Early Pathway students and instructors (Kim Bowers and Shannon Nolan).
This is Abdul-Qadir's final semester at OCC. He'll receive his high school diploma in June, and plans to transfer to Syracuse University in the fall.
Although he has earned a black belt in karate, his athletic focus outside class will continue to be kickboxing, where he hopes to compete at the highest level one day. "Kickboxing is recognized by the Olympics, but it is not an Olympic sport yet. If it becomes one, I will shoot for it!"
