TheSite

Maleeha Zehra, a class 12 student from Srinagar has bagged a full scholarship of $70,000 (over Rs 51 lakh) to study at the prestigious Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar. 

Maleeha in her higher secondary days in Delhi Public School, Srinagar decided to pick Humanities as she was always interested in studying Political Science and wanted to have an in-depth knowledge of the political situation in Kashmir. And that is how Maleeha went on to apply for International Relations in foreign universities. 

The teenager recalled her experience of applying in the times of internet service suspension and lockdown after the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, conversion of the state into two Union Territories in 2019. Though the political situation in her hometown has affected her applications, her grades and an exchange programme in Brazil she went on in 2018, gave her an edge. 

Maleeha is determined to serve the people of Kashmir and aspires to write on human rights violations around the world.

This time it is the pandemic that is keeping her in uncertainties. However, Maleeha is grateful and hopeful as her family and teachers have always stood as her rock and helped her achieve despite adversaries. 

Maleeha has currently decided to hold off celebrations until the second wave of the pandemic recede and cases begin to drop.