Hashmat Siddiqui & Manazir Family Scholarship

Hashmat Siddiqui was 9 years old in August of 1947 when India obtained freedom from the British Empire. The country was divided into India and Pakistan on the basis of religion. This caused the biggest migration in the history of mankind in which 15 million people were uprooted from their homes and 550,000 were killed.

Hashmat’s family had to flee to Pakistan from a comfortable home to a refugee status. She insisted on going to school despite unfavorable conditions when the majority of girls stayed home fearing their safety. She went on to college obtaining a Masters in both Geography and Islamic studies and became an educator. This helped her immensely when she was widowed while her children were still young. Her son moved to America for higher education and is a physician in the Quad Cities.

Her love and passion for education has grown watching her grandchildren thrive in this environment. Today she is honored to be able to help other driven individuals reach their higher educational goals. She hopes this generation can work towards a better understanding of different faiths, color and cultures of people all over the world.

Hashmat hopes to see more people accepting differences among themselves and more conflicts resolved through dialogue and not with violence. This scholarship is established to perpetuate her enthusiasm for education.

Purpose: To help a student who has overcome obstacles in his or her life and still gives back to the community.

Criteria to Apply:

• Must be a graduating senior from PVHS
• Has worked toward service to others and towards understanding and helping people of all cultures and faiths
• Must include 2 letters of recommendation, one from a PVHS staff member and one from a community member
• Involved in multiple extra-curricular activities during their high school years.
• Plan to attend a college or vocational school upon graduation

Scholarship Personal Statement/Essay:

• In less than 250 words (1700 characters), please tell us why you've chosen your field of study.
• In less than 250 words (1700 characters), please tell us what your plans are after your post-secondary education is complete.
• In less than 250 words (1700 characters), please tell us about one of the following: your ability to problem solve, work with others, and/or your dedication to the community.
• In less than 250 words (1700 characters), please tell us how you've overcome an obstacle.
• In less than 250 words (1700 characters), please tell us anything else about yourself you think the selection committee would like to know.
• In less than 250 words (1700 characters), describe your struggles in achieving academic success along with your positive impact on the community, especially with people of different backgrounds.

Click here to Apply for a Scholarship

Past Scholarship Recipients