July 28, 2009, Washington, DC - 11 Turkish American students were awarded the Turkish Coalition of America's TCAdvance Scholarship for the 2009-2010 academic year.
The TCAdvance Scholarship is awarded competitively to Americans of Turkish and Turkic heritage with the objective to recognize the academic achievements, community service and leadership role of young Turkish Americans and to cultivate a new generation of leaders in our community.
In addition to the 11 students receiving the TCAdvance Scholarship for the first time, the scholarships of 12 students, who received the scholarship in 2007 and 2008, were renewed for the upcoming academic year. Altogether, since the program's inception in 2007, 36 Turkish American students have benefited from the TCA scholarship.
We continue to be inspired by the talent and achievements of young Turkish Americans and are encouraged by their commitment to preserve and promote their heritage and contribute to the friendship between the American and Turkish people. In this respect, the TCAdvance Scholars are committed to serve as "Ambassadors" of our community in education, arts & culture, media and public policy.
The following students were awarded the TCAdvance Scholarship this year
Furkan Ünal
Furkan is a sophomore at the University of Maryland, where he is working towards a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Accounting. After graduation, Furkan wants to attend law school to pursue a career in corporate law. Furkan is the president of Future Business Leaders of America and is a former TCA-TUSIAD Congressional Intern.
Rukiye Şahin
Rukiye is a senior at the School of Visual Arts in New York, pursuing a degree in Graphic Design. She was awarded a School of Visual Arts jury prize for her short film “Afraid of the Dark” at the premiere screening in June 2009. Rukiye volunteers her design skills to the Moon and Stars Project – a nonprofit organization in New York dedicated to promoting Turkish arts and culture.
Rana San
A graduate of the University of Washington, Rana will be pursuing a Master’s degree in Cultural Management at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya in Barcelona. Throughout her undergraduate years, Rana was on the Dean’s List for academic excellence. Rana has volunteered as a production director at the TurkFest in Seattle and as a public affairs volunteer for a local radio station. A campus representative for Americans for Informed Democracy, Rana wants to pursue a career in public affairs.
Ceren Kesici
Ceren is a sophomore in Advertising at the Temple University. An active member of the Temple University Turkish Student Association, Ceren is also a board member of the Turkish American Friendship Society of US. Upon graduation, Ceren is planning to go to graduate school.
Aslı Kandemir
Aslı is pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Aslı is an active member of the Turkish American community in Chicago, where she regularly volunteers at Turkish Festivals and is a member of the Turkish Student Association at her school.
Daetan Bayar Huck
Daetan is a third generation Turkish American. A senior at the University of Washington in Near and Middle Eastern Studies, Daetan will spend his final year in college at the Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. Upon graduation, Daetan is planning to attend law school and pursue a career in Foreign Service. Daetan is the founder of CollegeDough.com – a nonprofit organization that offers a wide range of free academic resources and financial aid assistance to college students.
Aslı Durak
Aslı will pursue a BA in Liberal Studies at the New York University. She is the president of the French Honor Society and a recipient of the Oakton High School French Department and AP Scholar Awards. Aslı has experience in photojournalism and hopes to enter a career that will allow her to promote Turkish culture.
Melody Gözde Bayer
Melody is a first generation Turkish American and will enter the freshman class at Ohio State University to pursue a degree in International Affairs and Spanish with a minor in Turkish. Melody has taken all honors classes in high school.
Andrew VanBuren Aydın
Andrew is a press assistant, outreach coordinator and legislative correspondent on Capitol Hill. He is a former district aide from Connecticut. Andrew will receive his Master’s in continuing studies at the Georgetown University and hopes to pursue a career in media relations and public policy.
Eren Ferzan Akyar
A graduate of the Franklin and Marshall College, Eren will be pursuing a Master’s degree in International Studies at the American University. Upon graduation, Eren hopes to work for the US government in the field of foreign policy or national security. A former TCA-TUSIAD intern, Eren was on the Franklin and Marshall College Honors’ list for three semesters.
Ata Akın Akıner
Ata graduated from Rutgers University in June 2008 and has since travelled extensively. Beginning with the Fall 2009 semester, Ata will pursue a Master’s degree in International Relations at the University of Cambridge. Ata was regularly on the Dean’s list at Rutgers, where he was also the vice president of the Turkish Student Association.
