NEENAH – Students in Neenah high school, in the north central United States in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, are finding a new inspiration in a Muslim expert who returned to share them true tenets of Islam more than two decades after graduating from their school.

“A lot of what I’ve been able to do since leaving Neenah, Wisconsin has been because of this city, because of the people here, because of what it means to be a native of the Fox River Valley,” Dr Zuhdi Jasser, an expert on US-Islamic relations, told ABC WBAY.com on Thursday, October 13.

Dr. Jasser was a guest at Neenah High School, visiting the school for the first time since he graduated in 1985.

After graduation, he became a military medical officer, and now a cardiologist in Arizona.

He is also an expert on US-Islamic relations, something that has sent him to testify in front of congress as well as appear on national network cable stations.

His lecture came amidst rising controversy in media about Islam and Muslims.

“It really was nice and interesting to hear somebody come in who graduated from Neenah with the same experiences and to see what they were able to come to in their life and to see that there is something afterwards,” Haafsah Fariduddin, a Neenah High School senior, said.

The advice, coming from one who used to sit in their seats, was an inspiration to students.

“I think that we very much agree on what the solution should be. Muslims in America are not the problem, they’re the solution,” senior Kiara VandenLangenberg said.

“They are our connection to our allies that we should be holding accountable for their actions and so I really enjoyed it and I think it was really impactful for a lot of the students here.”