Over thirty students awarded scholarships for contributions to campus life and athletic excellence

Thirty-one students at American University of Sharjah (AUS) were awarded scholarships for their contributions to campus life and athletic excellence at a ceremony held by the Office of Student Experience on October 2. This year marked a first for the program, as student Naaz Khan, who is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at the School of Business Administration (SBA), received both the Active Student Scholarship and the Athletic Scholarship. Her achievement reflects outstanding involvement in student life and exceptional performance in sports, setting an important milestone for the AUS community.

Khan’s leadership contributions include serving as President of the Pakistani Cultural Club, where she grew the membership and organized large-scale cultural events that won two Global Day awards. She is also President of the Sustainability Club, Public Relations Coordinator of the History Club, Treasurer of the Association for Innovation, Management, and Strategy (AIMS) Club and Vice President for the Innovators Club. Beyond student organizations, Khan works at the SBA Career Design Lab and previously worked for two years at the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL), experiences that strengthened her organizational, communication and data analysis skills.

Photo caption: Khan receiving her scholarship awards at the ceremony held on 2 October.

Alongside these responsibilities, she has built an impressive athletic record as a powerlifter, volleyball player and founding captain of the AUS Women’s Cricket Team. She has earned three gold medals in powerlifting, a silver and bronze medal in volleyball at the AUS Olympics, and first-place finishes in both the AUS Battle of Colleges Women’s Powerlifting and AUS Biggest Winner 9.0 and 10.0. She has also led AUS teams in intercollegiate competitions, demonstrating discipline, teamwork and a commitment to athletic excellence.

“Receiving both the Active Student Scholarship and the Athletic Scholarship is a tremendous honor,” said Khan. “I have always been a very organized person, and I live by the motto of consistency, where I believe in doing something again and again until I succeed. Balancing the demands of student leadership with competitive athletics has been challenging, but those challenges have shaped me into a more resilient and disciplined individual. This recognition motivates me to continue striving for excellence in every area of my life, while serving as a role model for other young women at AUS who aspire to excel both academically and athletically.”

“At AUS, we take pride in supporting students who thrive in multiple dimensions of university life. These scholarships recognize the impressive balance our students achieve between academic study, leadership and athletics. Naaz Khan’s recognition as the first to receive both awards is a milestone that reflects the spirit of holistic excellence we encourage at AUS,” said Shaima bin Taliah, Vice Chancellor for Student Experience.

This year, the Office of Student Affairs awarded scholarships with a combined value of AED 430,000. The Active Student Scholarship was awarded to 16 students who have demonstrated significant leadership and contributions to student life, while the Athletic Scholarship was awarded to 16 students who have excelled in sports.

The 2025 scholarship recipients are: Nelly Karim Abdalla, Abdallah Ashraf Abdelfattah, Mohammad Mahmoud Abubaker, Rouqaya Yaser Al-Mufti, Qusai Mohammad Al Tah, Rand Heitham Al-Yahya, Jamal Ramadan Ashour, Ali Awada, Jude Samy Ayderus, Sanjana Monish Bharwani, Thanseeha Charivupuradathil Biju, Ahmad Chakif, Mohammed Arman Imtiaz Chy, Ezzeddin Ahmad Diab, Ali Mohsen Eldemerdash, Anas El Sayed, Nour Walid Halawa, Judy Hamdan, Asim Hamdi Hassan, Kumail Hassan, Bana Mamdouh Khairallah, Naaz Khan, Maya Jaafar, Oussama Jamal, Abdelrahman Mohamed Megahd, Sana Ismail Nimer, Hamza Mustafa Ratlami, Abdoulrahim Ahmadou Sardaouna, Haya Mohamad Taifour, Baraa Mohamed Youssef Taleb and Afif Ahmed Zughayer.

The scholarships, which can cover up to 25 percent of tuition fees, demonstrate AUS’ commitment to supporting academic excellence alongside extracurricular involvement and athletic achievement.

For more information on AUS scholarships, please visit www.aus.edu/admissions/financial-grants-and-scholarships.