Ohlone College AAUW Scholarship Winner featured in article
Ohlone College AAUW Scholarship Winner featured in article
The Ohlone College Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit auxiliary organization that strives toward economic equity, diversity, and inclusion by providing scholarships to Ohlone College students to have the financial resources and confidence to meet their educational goals.
“I truly found myself at Ohlone College…”
I immigrated to the U.S. in December of 2014 from Iran, when I was almost 15 years old. I did not speak any English upon arrival, which made becoming acquainted with the American culture and education system very challenging as a teenager. I was lucky to have never been bullied in high school; however most of my classmates pretended I didn’t exist, and I felt invisible. I struggled with depression. Thankfully, I had a very supportive family and friends who encouraged me to seek help and go to therapy.
Due to my language barriers, I was not able to be active in high school and couldn’t take advanced classes. Since I only had ESL credits, I could not apply to a UC or a CSU; I had to attend a community college. I decided to stay close to home and go to Ohlone College as a Biology major. I was honored to have been awarded the Ohlone Promise Scholarship. I felt supported and encouraged that donors believed in me and wanted me to be successful. Thanks to the generous support of the donors, I could become the first person in my family to attend college.
At Ohlone College, I expected to be treated the same way as I had during my high school years by my peers; I thought I would continue to be invisible. I am glad to say that was not the case. I decided to join the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) Ohlone Chapter and later became the president of the club. Since I had struggled with mental health issues, I wanted to raise awareness about mental health so that others know not to be ashamed of their mental health issues. I joined the Student Wellness Ambassador Program at Ohlone, ultimately becoming a statewide Student Wellness Ambassador. I truly found myself at Ohlone College and was able to become an advocate for those people who struggle.
After completing my AA degree, I decided to apply to Santa Clara University (SCU). I was fortunate enough to be awarded multiple SCU scholarships, but there was still a gap in my tuition. The Ohlone College Foundation and American Association of University Women supported me by awarding me the AAUW Transfer Student Scholarship (valued at $4,000), which SCU matched. Because of the continued support from the Ohlone College Foundation, I was able to attend a private university — something that I thought could never be possible for a low-income student.
I will forever remain grateful for the support of all the donors who have contributed to my success. I plan to pay the kindness of the donors forward in the future by becoming a donor myself. Until then, I will continue to support those around me in any way I can and continue to raise awareness about mental health issues and the challenges of immigrant and low-income communities.
