9 South Asian students awarded with 2022 McDonald’s/APIA Scholarship

To ensure APA students can pursue their academic dreams, especially those from underrepresented Asian subsegments, McDonald’s and APIA Scholars, the leading non-profit organization focused on college scholarships for Asian Pacific Americans in the U.S., joined forces to create the McDonald’s/APIA Scholarship in 2019. Since its inception in 2019, the McDonald’s/APIA Scholarship has awarded over $2M to 150+ underserved Asian Pacific American students from diverse underrepresented Asian subsegments.   

In addition to gathering students, celebrities and thought leaders for the APA Next Summit this weekend, McDonald’s is also announcing this year’s APIA Scholarship recipients. The Asian Pacific American community is vast, with multiple ethnicities, languages and identities that are often lumped together. The misconception that APAs are a monolithic group is a dangerous notion that causes many Asian subsegments to be overlooked, particularly when it comes to financial aid.    

The following are this year’s South Asian scholarship recipients:  

  

  • Adam Akbarzai from Ashford, CT attending University of Connecticut  
  • Ayushma Gautam from Louisville, KY attending Galen College of Nursing  
  • Chandra Rizal from Ankeny, IA attending Des Moines Area Community College   
  • Johnvinder Singh Bacchal from Springfield, TN attending Lipscomb University  
  • Kainat Kausar Tariq from Charlotte, NC attending Wake Forest University  
  • Labiba Salsabil Goni from New Britain, CT attending University of Connecticut  
  • Mamta Mukhiya from Roseville, MN attending University of Minnesota, Twin Cities  
  • Samaga Pokharel from Everett, MA attending Harvard University  
  • Syeda Ara from Detroit, MI attending Wayne State University  

  

Established in 2019, the McDonald’s/APIA Scholarship awards $500,000 to 55 high school and college students of Asian descent every year. To date, 165 students have benefited from the program.  Applications for the 2023 McDonald’s/APIA Scholarship are now available online through January 19, 2023.  Recipients are selected based on their academic achievement, community involvement, and financial need. Check out this year’s 55 scholarship recipients and details on how to apply at  APANext.com 


McDonald’s APA Next Summit and APIA Scholarship are just some of the many company initiatives created to serve up bright futures and provide opportunities for education and skills in the communities we serve. These efforts also include the Black & Positively Golden® HBCU Scholarship Fund, which is administered through Thurgood Marshall College Fund and helps students continue their undergraduate and graduate school education; the HACER® Education Tour, which provides information to navigate the college application process; and the Archways to Opportunity® program, which provides educational resources to eligible crew at participating U.S. restaurants. Together, with franchisees, we are committed to offering opportunities to feed and foster our communities.  

Image courtesy of Provided

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