Syed M. & Cathleen Jo Faruque International Student Scholarship

In June 2015, the Syed M. and Cathleen Jo Faruque International Student Scholarship was established with the Winona State University Foundation. The scholarship will support and encourage international students who have financial need so they are able to continue their studies at Winona State University.

Criteria

1. Each recipient must be an undergraduate student enrolled full-time in good standing at Winona State University (minimum of 12 credits per semester, fall and spring.)
2. Each recipient must be a Sophomore, Junior, Senior or 5th year student.
3. Each recipient must be an international student.
4. Each recipient must demonstrate financial need.
5. Each recipient must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Biography/Motivation

Syed M. Faruque is retired since 2019. He worked for many years as a Principal Product Engineer at BCS (TRW) Automotive Interface in Winona, MN. He was born in Bangladesh and received a degree in Chemical Engineering from BUET (Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.) He later went on to complete a second degree in Electrical Engineering and certification in EMC while living in the United States.

Cathleen Jo Faruque is Professor Emeritus from the Department of Social Work at Winona State University (retired May 2023). Cathleen is a native of Winona, MN and received her bachelor’s degree at Winona State University in Sociology/Social Work. She later went on to finish a Master’s in Social Work and a Doctorate in Psychology while living on the West Coast. She returned to Winona and started teaching Social Work at WSU in 1997.

Both Syed and Cathleen were first generation university students.