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Zaidal American Association Annual Scholarship

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We are absolutely thrilled to announce the inaugural recipients of the 2024 Zaidal American Association Scholarship: George Aboueid and Celine Barakat!

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A massive congratulations to both of you! We are incredibly proud of your accomplishments and cannot wait to witness the amazing successes you will achieve. The future is bright!

Applications for the 2026 ZAA Annual Scholarship are
NOW OPEN

The Zaidal American Association is proud to offer its annual scholarship program. We want to recognize our outstanding students and acknowledge their dedication to academic excellence. Please see the application below, which will include additional information and requirements to be considered for this scholarship. 


Eligibility Requirements: 

  1. Applicants are required to be residents of California and have at least one parent from Zaidal.

  2. Applicants must be accepted to a university and working towards a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree. Community college students may apply if they are transferring to a university in the fall. 

  3. The minimum GPA requirement is 3.25.


Deadline:    
The application and all required documents must be received by March 31st, 2026. The scholarship committee will interview applicants beginning early April 2026. 


Selection Process:
Each application will be graded based on the following five categories:

  1. Academic Achievement

  2. Letters of Recommendation

  3. Essay

  4. Extracurricular Activities

  5. Interview


Each category will be graded on a 4-point scale by all 6 members of our scholarship committee. Then the grades will be averaged for each category and all categories will be added for a total application score at the end. 

Zaidal American Association Annual Scholarship 2026

Please fill out the following to the best of your ability, if you have any questions please email us at zaidalscholarship@gmail.com

Personal Information

As a part of the eligibility requirements, applicants must have at least one parent be born in Zaidal.

Academics

Extra-curriculars

Please use this section to upload your resume (PDF). Please make sure the file name has your full name.

Essay Question

Write an essay no longer than 4 pages (double spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman) about one of the following topics. Please indicate which prompt you chose. 


1) Tell us about a time when you used your leadership skills to help others and/or  to accomplish a goal. What did you gain/learn from this experience and how do you plan on continuing to foster your leadership to help our Syrian community?


Examples of leadership skills are conflict resolution, organizing others around a task or goal, delegation..etc. Please keep in mind that one can be a leader at home, school, work, or other organizations/structures.


2) Describe a significant educational barrier you have faced and the steps you took to overcome it. What strategies did you use to succeed, and what did you learn from the experience? Reflect on how this challenge has shaped your educational journey and your goals for the future.


Examples of educational barriers you may write about can include learning or physical disabilities, access to resources or mentorship, economic disadvantages, or language proficiency etc.


3) Provide an example of a time you helped create a significant and positive impact on your school or community. How has your service benefited others? How have you learned or grown due to your community service? How can these skills and experiences be applied  to the Syrian community in the future?


Examples of community service can include involvement in school clubs, fundraisers, local charities, church or sunday school, volunteer events etc.


4) How have you utilized creativity in your academic and personal pursuits, and how has this impacted your personal growth and potential for success? Please provide specific details describing your creative outlet (artistic, scientific, etc..) and how you plan to continue using creativity as a tool to create a positive impact in your future career.


Things to consider: what does creativity mean to you? Do you express your creative side through creative writing, art, music, innovative thinking, or through other mediums? How has this skill helped you both on a personal and educational level? Does your creativity influence your decision making?

Please use this section to upload your essay response (PDF), Please make sure the file name has your full name.

Acknowledgment

I I have requested between one (1) and three (3) letters of recommendation (professional, academic, or personal).  The sources are not my relatives or significant other. The letters will come from the person making the recommendation and directly sent to zaidalscholarship@gmail.com 

These letters must be received by March 31st, 2026

I have sent my official transcripts directly from my school to zaidalscholarship@gmail.com. Unofficial transcripts will be rejected.  If your school does not offer electronic transmission of OFFICIAL transcripts, please have them mailed to:

Zaidal American Association Scholarship Committee

9650 Business Center Dr STE126 , Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730

Your transcripts must be received by March 31st, 2026

By marking the box, you confirm that the above statements are true to the best of your knowledge. You also allow the Zaidal American Association Scholarship Committee to contact you and use your name or image on marketing media.

©2025 by Zaidal American Association.

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