Banyan College Scholarship

The Banyan College Scholarship for South Asian Americans is dedicated to students from low-income families who are in their senior year of high school in New York City.  Since the Banyan College Scholarship was established in 2016, thirty four students have been selected to receive financial support to attend college from over four hundred applicants from New York City high schools. These recipients of the scholarship embody the spirit of the award in both their accomplishments and aspirations.

Featured Banyan Scholars

  • Gulshan Ashaque

    Gulshan was born in Lahore, Pakistan and currently lives in Queens, New York. She graduated from Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, where she was president of both the STEMinism and Science club. She has a strong passion for speaking out for women’s rights and was awarded by the Center for the Women of NY for her social activism. Gulshan started out at William E. Macaulay Honors College in Brooklyn and transferred to Columbia University in her sophomore year. She hopes to pursue a career in sports medicine and work with injured athletes on their road to recovery.

  • Abhayvir Singh

    Abhayvir was born in Punjab, India and has spent most of his life in Queens, New York. For undergrad in Brooklyn College, his work and interests focused on the anthropology of health and disease. Through his coursework, he learned the importance of being an advocate for healthcare systems that meet the needs of all people. He currently attends SUNY Downstate College of Medicine and looks forward to serving the NYC community as a medical professional.

  • Rizwan Kazi

    Rizwan is a Bengali American who was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. He graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 2020. He will graduate from Columbia University in May 2024, with bachelor's degrees in mathematics and economics. He is excited to pursue a variety of ventures after college, ranging from graduate studies in applied mathematics or philosophy to a career in quantitative finance or management consulting. Outside professional and academic endeavors, Rizwan practices goju-ryu karate (currently as a green belt), enjoys film photography, and reads plenty of poetry and philosophy.