Empower a First-Generation College Student

Dear Friends,

Scholarships are about creating opportunity. Opportunity to become a doctor, teacher, scientist, or a business leader. Your support provides life-changing opportunities for underprivileged young women and girls in Turkey through the gift of an education. We would like to take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your continued support of the BTF Empowerment Scholarships Program. 

This Scholarship Fund is made possible solely through the generosity of donors like you who are providing these students with a future full of hope and promise.BTF is committed to combatting barriers to education that prevent Turkey’s girls from achieving their full potential and becoming the future leaders and changemakers of Turkish society. In nearly 10 years, BTF has changed the lives of 3,515 exceptional young women and girls from rural Turkey. Together, with your support, we have been building better futures for rural girls, their families, and communities.

Below are select examples of BTF scholars’ goals and how their dreams are becoming a reality with your support:

Aspiring Engineer: “My greatest goal and purpose for pursuing an education is to succeed as a respected person. I want to break down the taboos regarding what is and is not a female profession, that is why I have chosen to study engineering. I have been told that because I am a girl, I won’t be able to do it, but they will see that men cannot do better than I can. I feel very happy with my decision to study engineering. When I see that my family is proud of me for being the first daughter going to university and doing all that I can, I am already starting to live my dream.”

Aspiring Doctor: “In elementary school I underwent brain surgery, an experience that greatly shaped my interest in becoming a brain surgeon once I got older. This was not only a decision of my own but a promise I had made to my grandfather, who has since passed away. To both my grandfather and myself, I promised I would do whatever was necessary to achieve my dream. Of course, at that time, everyone saw this aspiration as a childish dream. But despite this, I continued to work hard towards meeting my goals. I have done everything in my power to bring myself closer and closer to making my childhood dream a reality. With the support of my BTF scholarship, I am now studying in medical school, and I am halfway into my journey. As of now, my future holds three more years of medical school, and from there I believe I will be able to achieve my childhood dream, and become a successful brain surgeon. “

Aspiring Computer Engineer: “I wish to be one of the greatest software engineers and write innovative codes to make the businesses and lives of others’ easier. I challenged myself to pursue this profession, I want to be as creative as possible, to produce greater things from ordinary molds. I have asked myself, what is stopping me from becoming like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates? Through given opportunity, hard work and dedication I believe that I will achieve my goals. Becoming a successful computer engineer is my dream and with the BTF scholarship, I am living my dream.”

Aspiring Teacher: “My family, like many other families, raised me within times of hardship. I know the harsh realities of the people around me, and how their dreams were cut short due to their difficult circumstances. One day, I hope to reach out to all of these people and help them make their dreams a reality. I will work to give back to my community.”

Aspiring Computer Engineer: “As a female engineer in training, it is important for me to prove wrong the myth that women are not capable of succeeding within the field of engineering. I remember once during an exam period at my school, fellow students around me were arguing that the best jobs suited for a woman were teaching or nursing. This ignorance does not acknowledge the bravery in many women who have chosen to be successful engineers. It is as difficult for a woman to become an accomplished engineer as it is for a man to do the same. For me, another significant goal is to reduce the injustice experienced by female engineers in the sector. I would like to make sure that women in the field of engineering feel empowered and recognized for their talents and abilities. No one, particularly a woman, should feel that she must let go of her work because of social stereotypes and injustices.” 

As you can see, these students have high hopes for a better future, want to do better than their parents, and become productive members of their communities. By continuing to support the BTF Empowerment Scholarships Program, you will make their dreams a reality and enable them to achieve their goals of becoming an engineer, doctor, and/or a teacher.

Thank you again for believing in the advancement of women and helping change the world, one educated girl at a time…

Education is the light, showing these young women and girls how to build a future for themselves. Be assured these young women will bring the light to their community and continue to pass the light on.

Lets’ light the path to education together!

Best regards,

Links:

• http://www.bridgetoturkiye.org

Dear Friend:

Bridge to Turkiye Fund (BTF) is excited to share our first report summarizing the accomplishments and progress made this year on the Empowerment Scholarship Program. 

At the beginning of the 2018-2019 Academic Year, we set a goal to provide scholarships to 1,000 students from underserved regions of Turkey. We knew that this was going to be a monumental task. However, thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, we are happy to report that we have exceeded our goal and provided 1068 scholarships in the amount of $402,938 funds, bringing our organization’s total impact to 3,515 in nearly 10 years. Compared to the scholarships provided two years ago, we have doubled our impact this year in investing in the future of female college students. 

This year, we collaborated with 12 well-respected NGO partners and foundations established by important universities, such as, Middle Eastern Technical University (ODTU), Hacettepe University, Bilkent University, and Bogaziçi University. Our most significant NGO partner is the Association for Supporting Contemporary Life [Çagdas Yasam Destekleme Dernegi (ÇYDD)] that has 103 branch offices throughout Turkey serving the needs of their local communities in the areas of education and health. BTF awarded scholarships to 839 students through 38 ÇYDD branch offices, enabling us to reach out to students from diverse, low-income rural communities, including areas that are predominantly of ethnic minorities.

Thomas Jefferson wrote 100 years ago, ”…that the children of the poor must be thus educated at common expense.” BTF strongly supports this belief and has made its core mission to serve promising students from low-income, rural communities of Turkish Society. These micro-scholarships are instrumental in empowering and opening doors for young women by providing necessary financial support and helping them overcome economic disadvantages. 

Each recipient is carefully screened and selected based on their academic performance, economic background as well as those who are most likely to complete their higher education and get into the work force so that they can contribute to the Turkish Society. Financial hardship and distance to schools coupled with lack of dormitories are the most common barriers faced by many of these female students. Young Turkish women, especially those struggling to pay for their education, often drop out of college to earn income for their families. Many of these women also come from large families where they are often competing with their brothers for limited educational funds available from their parents. In some of the Turkish families from rural areas, boys are often given priority over girls in terms of education. Thus, these much-needed annual scholarships provide funding to pay for their tuition, room and board, text books, transportation, and educational supplies. These scholarships ultimately help reduce financial burden for low-income families, college dropout rate, and provide educational opportunities for many young women who might otherwise be forced to leave school because of their inability to fund their education.

Despite the difficulties they face, these students have high hopes for a better future just as any young girl growing up in developed countries. We are encouraged to hear from many of our scholars who vow to “pay it forward” and provide the same opportunities given to them to others in need in the future. 

We greatly appreciate your support, generosity, and most importantly, your trust in BTF’s Empowerment Scholarships Program. Through your continued support, these young women will have a chance to live better lives and promote a Turkish society where women have a voice and role in their communities.

Enclosed are pictures of some of our scholarship recipients and a message from a young education major aspiring to be a teacher. We look forward to sharing more exciting news and hope to introduce some of our scholars in our future updates.

Best regards,