Aqsa Ashraf is passionate about not only achieving her dream career as an electrical engineer, but also helping and teaching others about engineering. This 1,000 Dreams Fund Scholarship recipient’s next step is attending the University of Maryland (College Park) to study engineering.

What is your professional dream?

I want to be an electrical engineer.

How will you use the 1,000 Dreams Scholarship?

For my upcoming first semester of college, I will be using the scholarship for materials and supplies that will be beneficiary to me as an engineering student. This includes laptops, textbooks, equipment for laboratory classes, and mathematical tools such as calculators.

How is this scholarship helping you get closer to your dream?

This scholarship will provide materials that will help me be successful in my college courses and academic learning. This will further help establish my goals as a well-rounded student with a passion for what I am learning.

​What advice do you have for other young women who are wanting to pursue their dreams?

Your dreams are just dreams unless if there is passion-filled motivation driving you to accomplish your dreams.

​Have you had any setbacks? How did you move past them?

My hearing loss made everyday life difficult to navigate and made me lose motivation. As time went on, I became open to adapting and learning about my disadvantages while finding ways around them. I used a lot of problem-solving to accept this setback.

What’s next for you? What is your next goal?

As I am excited to begin my journey in higher academics, my goal is to learn new ways to better improve myself along the way in my classes — socially and mentally. I hope to accomplish balance in all aspects of life.