MACON – Mercer University freshman Mahnoor Sultan was recently chosen as a recipient of the inaugural McDonald’s/APIA Scholarship to provide financial support and opportunities to Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) college students.
Scholarships totaling a half-million dollars were awarded by McDonald’s to 55 students across the country. Fifteen students, including Sultan, received four-year scholarships, while the remainder received one-year awards.
The program focuses not only on supporting students’ education monetarily but mentoring them, as well, through higher education and leadership.
Sultan discovered this opportunity during her senior year of high school and was ecstatic to learn that the experiences she relayed in her application translated effectively.
“There are so many people that definitely put their heart into that application, and I know I did, for sure,” Sultan said. “To know that my hard work paid off and that they heard my voice through the change I want to make really made my heart happy.”
Sultan believes that Asian representation at Mercer is extremely important, not only to pay homage to her Sri Lankan and Pakistani heritage but also to allow others to learn more about these cultural groups.
She wants to study global health and Spanish to further channel her passion for helping others and foreign languages into her educational pursuits. She is already involved in organizations on campus such as the Association of Global Health and the Student National Medical Association and plans to join others.
Sultan hopes to work with Doctors Without Borders after college. For now, she plans to make an impact on campus over here next three-and-a-half years as an undergraduate.
“Mercer was a good fit for channeling my passions and plans and I have always been more of a small-school person,” Sultan said. “I think at a smaller school, I can generate a big voice. I could see myself making a difference here.”
