Shell Scholars

One of our primary educational initiatives in Pakistan is the Shell Scholarship programme. Through this incentive we offer financial assistance to students interested in pursuing higher education in prestigious universities across Pakistan. Students are selected based on need and merit and although we have received several interesting and deserving applications, only a few candidates were selected to become role models for others. This is their story.

On March 13, 2009, twenty-three year old resident of Karachi, Muhammad Areeb Aijaz, faced one of the biggest adversities of his life. The sudden death of his father. As the eldest son, Areeb had no time to grieve for this unbearable loss. Instead, he shouldered all responsibilities of his family whilst continuing his education.

Despite the ever-increasing financial constraints and family responsibilities, Areeb remained steadfast with his goals and patiently fought with obstacles and uncertainties. His academic performance was testament to his commitment. He always finished in the top percentile of his class. Areeb shares his feelings about winning the scholarship and plans for the future.

Why did you decide to apply for the Scholarship Program?

My dream was to do my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from IBA. However, the main obstacle was the high fee. In order to ease my parent’s financial burden, I was providing tuitions to students since tenth grade. However, this time, there was no way I could gather such a large amount in such a short time.
 
I applied to the Shell scholarship program knowing that Shell has always taken a leading role in contributing to society through a structured social investment program. I was confident that I stood a fair chance because of its strict and transparent selection procedure.

How will you benefit from the scholarship?

This scholarship has eased off the financial pressure and contributed to the improvement of my performance at IBA. I owe Shell a lot for making my experience at IBA worthwhile.

What are your plans for the future?

Apart from earning my bread and butter, I want to give back to the society and contribute for the welfare of the unprivileged and downtrodden. I firmly believe that these people have extraordinary talent and capabilities but they severely lack resources to channel their effort in the right direction. My plan is to gear these people with quality education that could hone their skills and harness their talent.

What advice can you offer to others students? 

Students should realize that hard work and commitment eventually pays off. Do not get discouraged and disheartened by the lack of resources.
As the age-old adage goes "where there is a will there is a way”; if you are committed to studies and have firm conviction about your capabilities then don’t worry about the resources. Once you are successful, try to give back to the society by helping those who are going through the same pain.

Who is your greatest inspiration?

Until the age of 67, I have seen him hoping against hope, racing against time, swimming against tides, and struggling against odds. Hats off to him.

This twenty-year-old has been a top performer throughout his academic career. After completing his matriculation from Shamsi Soc. Model School and securing a high percentile, Abbas was admitted to Adamjee Government College. During his educational career, he remained hard working and devoted his full attention towards his studies. He has always actively taken part in extra curricular activities such as debates, hosting, stage performances, and sports etcetera. Sami answers some of our questions.  

Were you happy to receive the Shell Scholarship? What has your experience in college been so far?

I am extremely happy and honored that SHELL has chosen me for the scholarship as it really helped me in pursuing my career. NED UET is a prestigious institute and it offers its students a well-qualified faculty and the best extra curricular activities. Moreover, NED UET offers lots of opportunities for students to groom themselves and prove their talents.

What are your plans for the future, after graduating from college?

My plan is to have first-hand exposure to the field and then apply the theoretical principles in a real life scenario. Afterward, I will look forward to enhancing my knowledge in my field by continuing my education.  

What advice can you offer others students?  

Whether personal or professional goals, hard work, sincerity, honesty and devotion are integral for success in life. Be fair to your own self only then you can be fair to others around you. 

Your motivation, what inspires you?

I have always set small goals in life. Once I achieve my goals, they become inspiration for me to move forward. Moreover, the appreciation I get from my colleagues and my family urges me to prove myself even better!

Saeed, a resident of a small village in Sindh, has lived a mostly simple life without the frivolities and luxuries that we usually take for granted. Committed to his education from the start, he would instantly become a favorite student for all teachers. Relatives were always impressed with his perseverance and strong will.

For his primary education, he attended Government Primary School Pir Usman Shah, and did his Matriculation from Government High School Kotri Muhammad Kabir. After clearing his exams with flying colors, Toor was accepted at IBA (Sukhur Campus). With the support of the Shell Scholarship, he is currently enrolled in Szabist (Karachi Campus) and completing his MBA degree. 

Saeed Abbas explains how winning the Scholarship has made a difference.

Were you happy to receive the Shell Scholarship? 

The happiest and most shocking moment of my life was when I received the acceptance letter for Shell Scholarship. Some of my friends criticized me for wasting time and discouraged me from applying. Fortunately, my persistence paid off.  

What are your plans for the future?

My ultimate aim is to apply for higher education in a PHD program at a renowned university such as Oxford or Harvard. Meanwhile, I would also like to look for a fulfilling position at a Multinational company such as Unilever Pakistan, Shell Pakistan or P&G.

What advice can you offer to others students?

My advice to them is that one should never try to compete with others. Instead, our aim should be to improve ourselves in order to compete with the last performance.

Who is your inspiration?

My parents have been my primary motivation and my clear-cut vision has inspired me to accomplish things.

A resident of Hyderabad, twenty-four-year-old Khalid grew up in a large family. From the start, his parents struggled to make ends meet for their three sons and two daughters. Despite the everyday struggle for basic necessities of life, his parents never forced him to leave his education and earn for a living.

Having no proper career counseling or career direction at school, Khalid was unsure of what he wanted to study in order to achieve his goals. However, one thing was for sure; his love for academics. Unlike other children, he required no coercion from anyone to study. His early education at a local mosque school where there were no desks or seats and government institutions served as no impediment to his educational growth.

He was awarded as the Best student of the year in 2001 for securing the highest marks among all the students of school in matriculation examinations. He actively participated in extracurricular activities such as debates; quiz competitions, dramas etc, and won prizes and medals for his school. 

Zohaib tells us a little about his dreams, aspirations and his feelings about winning the scholarship. 

Have you always been committed to education? Kindly provide some details on your education prior to college / university?

I won the first prize on a quiz competition in 1999, held monthly at Hyderabad Radio Pakistan; first prize in English debating at the Board level in 2000. I was awarded the Best student award in extracurricular activities in 2000. These activities gave me a lot of confidence for tackling challenges and working in a competitive environment and also expanded my vision about life. 

I secured 2nd highest marks among eight thousand students at the admission test of Mehran UET and joined the institute in 2003 and received B.E in Electronics Engineering in 2008.

I was the only student in my batch amongst all engineering departments, who was selected for the merit scholarship by Institute of Engineers Pakistan, Saudi Arabian Center (IEP-SAC Scholarship) to fund undergraduate studies at Mehran UET. 
I also received Mehran UET internal merit scholarship for four consecutive years. In 2008, I joined NUST for M.S in Electrical engineering with specialization in Control Engineering.

Were you happy to receive the Shell Scholarship? What has your experience in college been so far?  

Being a Shell scholarship recipient is a great experience for my academic career and personal life. I could concentrate on my graduate studies and research work free from any kind of financial constraints. I believe that the funding provided by this program is adequate to support a graduate student’s requirements & needs.

At PNEC NUST, I am having a wonderful time and experiencing worthwhile academic challenges. I have been able to develop a positive attitude towards research and development.

What are your plans for the future, after graduating from college?

I am currently working as Assistant Manager in a public sector Research & Development organization that is involved in doing research in Space sciences and technology. I have been recently awarded Fulbright PhD Scholarship, so after graduating I would go to the United States of America to pursue my doctorate studies in the field of Control Engineering.

Upon my return back to Pakistan, I would join my current employer where I have the opportunities to serve the country in the capacity of a researcher and utilize my academic knowledge for socio-economic uplift of Pakistan.

I want my country to be one of the most developed countries of the world and I believe it is possible when we have advanced scientific technologies to apply in order to achieve the country’s research and economic goals. 

I also aim to serve as a visiting faculty in different engineering schools in Pakistan where I would share my knowledge of Control Engineering and the latest technologies, among the students in Pakistan to enable them to play their part in the development of country.
 
What advice can you offer others students?  

Everything in this universe has been created with a purpose and it is our obligation to find that reason and work accordingly. For the development of a country and society only Engineers, doctors and researchers are not required but experts are required in every field of life and together we can work on making it a better society.

I think students should explore their talents and abilities in order to decide an appropriate career. Additionally, working honestly in their field of expertise is integral.

We owe a responsibility to our country and our society, so always try to take a constructive part in the development of country and make the best efforts to add new and positive dimensions to the society.

Your motivation, what inspires you?

My biggest motivation is to help the condition of my society. I do feel that we really need to develop ourselves in the field of education, science and technology. By being a better Engineer, I can bring positive changes in my society and also improve the economic conditions of my country.