As Friends Charities enters our third year of operations, we are excited to expand our horizons with what we can help with in terms of pursuing and funding education. Last year we began to talk with people from Carnegie Mellon University’s Indian Graduate Student Association (IGSA). Their organization provided an incredibly generous donation towards scholarships for the 2021-2022 academic year, and through our discussions we are beginning to see a potential partnership with them.
Friends Charities’ president, Raja Jasper, is a first-generation Indian immigrant who is now a US Citizen. It should be no surprise that he holds immigration as an important issue, and our organization can provide extremely valuable guidance for younger immigrants in Western Pennsylvania who are seeking citizenship, higher education, or full-time employment in the area. With Friends Charities providing assistance to high-school seniors and mentoring during their early college years, we can lay the groundwork for these immigrant students to connect with the higher education network offered by IGSA.
Pittsburgh was a choice city in the 2010’s for immigrants and higher education, and the 2020’s appear to only improve the city’s standing. To that end, we wish to do all we can to fill this niche, but extremely important, opportunity in Western Pennsylvania education. Our 2022 goal is to reach a $10,000 scholarship fund to divide out between 20 students across the region.
We are asking the Indian Graduate Student Association to be available for reference for all Friends Charities scholarship recipients who may benefit from networking with the IGSA. We would direct applicable students to the organization during our mentoring sessions. This would also include sharing the IGSA website, email address, and upcoming events with the students.
Helping individuals pursue higher education by providing them with assistance and mentorship throughout their journey.