We are pleased to announce the Recipients of the 2024 Imam's Generational Scholarship Fund!

Reem Alhalhali was born in Brooklyn, New York, and Alhamdullilah was very fortunate to be able to go to Islamic schools her entire life and was taught from a young age to put her religion and academics above all else. She moved to Houston when she was nine years old, and although the change was initially hard, she was able to attain the Islamic community she previously missed and was able to become a Hafiz with the help of Allah and her parents. She moved to Austin seven years later, to pursue her education at one of the Nation's best Business Universities. Inshalllah, she will continue to pursue her education and Deen amidst all the change and challenges of the Dunya, prioritizing it as the main aspect of her life.

Rawda Elbatrawish is a Senior at Teaneck High School, Interested in Neuroscience and Religious Studies. Elbatrawish is President of Teaneck's Muslim Student Association and of Teaneck's Red Cross club, Captain of Teaneck's speech club, an active Emergency Medical Technician, a Quran Teacher at her local Mosque, and a former Taekwondo Instructor for an all-girls Taekwondo. Elbatrawish has been awarded a Youth Leadership in Excellence award by the Teaneck International Film Festival, the NJ hometown hero award from the U.S House of Reps, as well as the most prestigious award of her high school, the Plaque award. In 2023, with a fellow student, Elbatrawish started organizing Through a Deeper Lens and A Lens For All, a series of youth-led, interfaith educational conversations to promote healing and understanding, featured on the front page in the Washington Post. Her passion is to bring about change through the education of communities.

Salsabil Gehan is a rising third year medical student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She completed her BS and BA in Biological Sciences and History, respectively, at the University of California, Irvine in 2016. She then moved to Pittsburgh to start a family, now composed of her husband and two children. She later earned an MS in Biomedical Sciences in 2021 at the University of Pittsburgh and was subsequently accepted into the University's School of Medicine. During her time off school, she worked as a Clinical Research Assistant at UPMC Magee- Womens Hospital, and later as an Outpatient Clinical Coordinator at HOPE TEAM clinic at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. Salsabil is grateful to be done with her first two years of Medical School and could not have been there without the support of her husband, parents, and family as well as the financial support of CICW.

Mohamed Irhabi is beyond grateful for receiving this award from the renowned CICW Foundation. Mohamed is a dedicated Lamar University student pursuing a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and a Pre-Med concentration. He maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA as an Honors student in the Lamar Reaud Honors College and is committed to pursuing a medical career. Mohamed aspires to attend medical school and become an interventional cardiologist, with the goal of establishing a community service day offering free medical care. Additionally, Mohamed is nearing the completion of his Hifz (memorization of the Quran) and has competed in numerous Quran competitions, securing top three placements in several. He also serves as an assistant Imam, a Khateeb for the second Jummah prayer at his local mosque, and a YM (Youth Muslim) member in the greater Houston area, demonstrating his commitment to his faith and community.

Zahid Rahman is a 22 year-old Bangladeshi-American, born and raised in Florida, who currently resides in Tampa. Pursuing his master's degree at USF, he plans to become a data scientist, Insha'Allah. Outside of college, Zahid stays active in his community by giving khutbahs, organizing youth halaqahs, and leading taraweeh during the month of Ramadan. He completed his Hifthul Qur'an at 14, and credits his personal development and work ethic to his Qur'an teachers (حفظهم الله) who instilled within him the importance of Adab and Akhlaq alongside discipline and humility. Passionate about guiding Muslim youth, Zahid is working towards a future where Muslims are not shy of their Deen and where Masajid can work together. In his downtime, he enjoys weightlifting, calligraphy art, and is a UFC fan. Zahid requests you to make du'a for his family and that Allah enables him to be of service to those around him.

Mustafa Ramadan is an incoming student at Fresno state majoring in civil engineering. A major interest he holds is in his wants to build and design, which motivates him towards excelling in his studies. In extracurricular activities, Mustafa is a soccer lover. He has represented his local club and school school teams for 4-5 years and thus these two aspects were observed in him. The other interest that one will occasionally find Mustafa interested in is travel where he will travel anywhere he gets a chance. However, the characteristic that stands out most is volunteer work for at least he wants to help the needy. Education, soccer, and the desire to change the world contribute to Mustafa's development as a young man who is willing to make all the difference that he possibly can.

Kinza Rashid is the sixth of nine children, blessed to have grown up with parents who have the love of community service running through their veins. She's currently enjoying her Quran memorization and tafsir journey, taking Islamic classes, studying Arabic, teaching Sunday School, volunteer-tutoring at-risk youth in mathematics, and absorbing any traditional Islamic content she can get her hands on (whether physical book volumes from her parents' library or YouTube series). With graduation on the horizon, she plans to bring her Computer Engineering degree from the University of Central Florida to full fruition by creating software/hardware-hybrid applications targeted towards fostering growth and unity within the entire Muslim Ummah. She believes in providing specialized, intellectually stimulating, and free educational and spiritual opportunities to youth in the form of workshops and programs. Two of her big dreams encompass building an Islamic scholarship foundation and riba-free home financing system in North America.

Zahrah Rashid is in her second year at the University of Central Florida, pursuing a BS in Computer Science. She is the seventh of nine children and is grateful to her parents for instilling the importance of community service and a strong work ethic from a young age. She enjoys spending her personal time volunteering in the community and at the masjid, practicing calisthenics, fitness, pursuing Islamic knowledge, crocheting gifts for her loved ones, reading, and spending quality time with family. Her proudest accomplishment is completing memorization of the Holy Qur’an at the age of 12, alhamdulillah. One of her long-term goals as a Computer Scientist is to create both digital and in-person youth programs for community enrichment, and to help her peers, as well as younger and older generations, stay connected to their Deen. She is thankful to CICW for this gift, alhamdulillah.

Miriam Shaw is a 20-year-old born in Detroit, Michigan. She has spent the majority of her life in Memphis, Tennessee. She is passionate about community work, activism, healthy living, and strengthening her relationship with Allah (swt). In her free time, she loves to read, study languages, go on walks, and spend time exploring new places. She is entering her last year of school at the University of Memphis, where she is double majoring in Dietetics and Spanish. After university, she plans to take a gap year to attend an Islamic seminary. She then plans to further her education in Dietetics while working as a Spanish interpreter. She hopes to be able to travel the world one day and create a positive impact on the lives of those around her. Receiving this scholarship will Insha’Allah help her achieve her goals.

Saara Uthmaan is a student at the University of Washington with many dreams and goals. She is on a mission to impact her community through volunteer work and leadership roles. Saara hopes to use her skills in writing and computing to drive meaningful change in her communities. She actively seeks learning opportunities and always looks for more opportunities to grow. Currently, she is participating in data visualization and data activism research. She aims to continue her research in graduate school and gain industry experience as a researcher, software engineer, and product manager. Saara aspires to promote diversity and make a lasting impact at the University of Washington and in the tech industry.

​Sumaya Uthmaan is a nursing student at the University of Washington, specializing in geriatric health. She transitioned from homeschooling to a large university, overcoming challenges to achieve significant academic success. Sumaya is committed to providing specialized care for older adults in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and community health settings. Her involvement in community initiatives, such as volunteering with SHIFA (Student Health Initiative for Access), highlights her dedication to improving healthcare access for underserved communities. Sumaya's goal is to become a registered nurse (RN), gain global insights as a travel nurse into diverse healthcare systems, and ultimately return to Washington to support the local aging population.

Imam Hamza Vohra completed his memorization of the Qur’an from Markaz Khalid bin Walid, Sharjah, UAE. He is a graduate from the University of Connecticut with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Psychology. Upon completing his undergraduate education, Hamza decided to deepen his understanding of the Islamic sciences. He traveled to Cairo, Egypt where he earned Ijazah in Qur’anic recitation, and completed the year-long course in Arabic at al-Tibyan Center for Arabic studies. He then spent the next five years studying in the blessed city of Madinah, KSA at the University of Madinah, where he earned a B.A. in Islamic Jurisprudence. Hamza also earned a M.A. in Arabic from Middlebury College in Vermont, USA. Hamza is currently in the process of completing his doctorate in clinical psychology. He has an interest in Islamically-integrated psychotherapy and working with patients who suffer from trauma and other early-life adverse experiences.