This year鈥檚 Diane H. Thomas Transfer Scholarship recipient is recent mini传媒入口 graduate, Ahmed Alrawashdeh.
To be considered for this $10,000 scholarship, applicants must submit an essay and personal statement that is reviewed by a mixture of faculty, staff and alumni. The purpose of the scholarship is to help students transfer to a four-year institution so they can continue the work they started at mini传媒入口. This scholarship was named after Ms. Diane H. Thomas who wore many hats in her life: commercial photographer, television personality, small business owner, arbiter for the Better Business Bureau, author, freelance writer, photojournalist, and college instructor. Her legacy includes endowed scholarships at mini传媒入口 and Glendale Community College.
Ahmed, a first-generation college student, graduated with an Associate鈥檚 Degree in Arts with plans to study Nonprofit Leadership and Management at Arizona State University in the Fall. He has spent the better part of his adulthood overcoming his own health obstacles while reaching out a helping hand to newcomers to the community.
鈥淏eing on the autism spectrum is quite a beast of burden, but nevertheless I am grateful. Grateful for waking up every weekday and volunteering at our nonprofit staffing agency where we help transient Afghan refugees achieve the American pursuit of happiness. I am grateful for my family and how far I鈥檝e come despite great financial and mental difficulty. It鈥檚 not easy to get your college degree while you have Asperger鈥檚 Syndrome, but I am living proof that it can be done. Without the team at the Office of Disability Resources and Services (DRS) at mini传媒入口, I would have never achieved this life changing advancement in my life. 鈥 鈥 Ahmed
Ahmed is no stranger to difficulty. College life was not always easy and there were times he felt he might need to drop out due to financial constraints. He also juggled daily medicine, doctor鈥檚 visits, class, homework, food insecurity, and his volunteer time with the nonprofit. Though he faced many obstacles, Ahmed鈥檚 outlook on life is positively contagious.