Rum Diversity Scholarship
The six Rum sisters (from left) Etaf, Leya, Ruba, Dania, Samah and Saja, hope their scholarship removes barriers to higher education for other young women.
History
They lived in a cramped apartment in New York City, eight siblings facing the daily uncertainties and pressing weight of poverty. Yet compared to their parents, who grew up amid the constant danger and relentless hopelessness of Palestinian refugee camps, the children’s world within the thin walls of the family’s two-bedroom unit held endless possibilities and big dreams.
The six sisters and two brothers relied upon one another for strength and camaraderie, while their father worked long hours in a pet supply shop and their mother poured her heart into raising them.
The girls forged an especially close bond during those challenging years. “I think we kept each other sane,” says Ruba Rum, the fourth oldest of what would eventually be nine Rum children. “We were all in it together — struggling together, yes, but surviving and finding ways to have fun together, too, even in the hard times.”
Just as their parents came to America seeking a fresh start, the sisters followed a path to new opportunities — remarkably, leading all six to USF. Now they hope to provide opportunities for young women confronting hurdles of their own.
They have created the Rum Diversity Scholarship to provide more avenues to higher education for minority students, and are now trying to raise the $25,000 necessary to permanently endow it. The fund will support minority women who have a financial need, have demonstrated involvement in diversity through service or educational activities, and plan to give back to their communities after graduation.
To read the full story click here.
Scholarship Criteria
To offer scholarships to full or part-time graduate students, pursuing a Clinical Psychology, Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing or Education major, in the Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Taneja College of Pharmacy, Morsani College of Medicine, Nursing or Education. This scholarship is based on financial need. The Rum Diversity Scholarship is designed to assist USF in achieving and sustaining the education benefits of diversity, increase pathways to higher education for minority students, and support students who are likely to give back to underrepresented communities after graduation. Preference for an underrepresented female student who has a financial need and demonstrates a commitment to promoting diversity, including diversity of race/ethnicity. This commitment may be demonstrated through involvement in service and/or educational activities, through a personal essay which may not exceed 300 words.
