Winter 2026 Ayesha Farrukh Scholarship:
Applications currently open!
Maximize your potential.
Past Recipients
Ava Reyes
Ava is currently a student at the University of California, Berkeley studying Political Science with a concentration in international relations. She is a staff writer for the World section of the Berkeley Political Review, and in her free time, she loves to play pickleball and basketball.
Oku Betany
Oku’s unwavering determination to pursue her education at Crossover Technology Institute despite facing immense challenges, including long commutes from the Adagong Refugee Settlement in Nigeria, shows remarkable resilience and ambition. We are proud to support Oku as she continues to break barriers and achieve her dreams!
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Zainab Irfan
Zainab is from Wazirabad, Pakistan. Zainab has 5 siblings, but unfortunately due familial circumstances, she was placed at the Roshni Homes Trust. While these setbacks are unfortunate, Zainab has persevered as she is a very intelligent girl, having achieved straight A’s. Zainab is our youngest recipient ever at just 9 years old.
Leeya Pearla Mensah Sowah
Leeya is from Kenya and she is a student at Holy Child School in Cape Coast, Ghana. Leeya noticed how the amount of waste in her community was creating health issues such as malaria and cholera. After partnering with non governmental organizations, she and her team were able to successfully reduce the amount of litter and subsequently diseases around the area. Her impact was so significant the Chief implemented fines for littering.
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*Placeholder image included to honor privacy preferences
Isabelle Qi
Isabelle Qi is a first-year student at Wellesley College whose interest in law was driven by helping her immigrant parents traverse complicated legal systems they could not fully understand, in situations ranging from handling legal and insurance concerns after a car accident to green card applications for her grandparents. She is a double major in political science and economics on a pre-law track and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Executive Board of Simplified Civics, a youth-led nonprofit that has reached over 1.2 million students globally through multilingual civic education. Isabelle hopes to become the first lawyer in her family and provide accessible legal services to immigrant communities.
Estefany Calderon
Estefany Calderon is an immigrant and first-generation college student committed to expanding financial literacy and economic equity in underserved communities. She founded a financial literacy blog focused on budgeting, credit-building, and debt management for young adults and multilingual audiences, and collaborates with Loyola’s Center for Economic Justice.
As a Finance and Economics major, Estefany plans to pursue a career in nonprofit financial education, empowering immigrant and low-income communities to achieve economic mobility.
Our Sponsors
Western Union Foundation offers support to migrants and refugees.
Watson Institute supports highly promising, historically disenfranchised organizations.
Google offers financial and technical support to help solve the challenges nonprofits face.
Echelon Collective's philanthropic mission is to help students that are marginalized by society.
What to Expect
SCHOLARSHIP DETAILS
Farrukh Foundation aims to support first-generation students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, and a commitment to community service.
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Maximum of $2500 awarded per cycle*
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Deadline to apply is April 30th, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET
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Open to Elementary School, Middle School, High School, Undergraduate and Graduate students
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Decisions for Winter 2026 cycle will be released no later than June 15th, 2026 11:59 PM ET
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Please note that individual scholarship amounts may vary, with a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $2,500 per recipient
Eligibility Criteria
1. First generation status
3. Currently enrolled as a full-time student
4. Demonstrated community leadership
Follow us! @farrukhfoundationorg
