—
Self-made billionaire Brian Sheth believes children are our future. That’s why, through his Sheth Sangreal Foundation, he’s created a scholarship fund for local students in his hometown of Austin, Texas. Sheth Sangreal Scholarship Fund was established in 2022 to provide financial assistance to Central Texas students who have excelled academically.
The new fund is managed by the Austin Community Foundation, which announced on July 21, 2022, that 20 students — several of them first-generation college applicants — would each receive a $25,000 scholarship.
According to Sheth, “With rising costs of college tuition and the potential burden of student debt, pursuing a college degree is out of reach for many students in our region. With the Sheth Sangreal Scholarship Fund, we are investing in the leaders of tomorrow by providing a pathway for young adults, regardless of their background or financial status, to reach their educational dreams. We proudly support and empower the 20 Central Texas students selected for this year’s scholarship awards.”
According to collegecalc.org, the average annual cost of an in-state, four-year public university in Texas was $16,823 for the 2020-21 academic year.
The Sheth Sangreal Foundation
Sheth Sangreal Foundation’s mission statement is, “For our children, our planet and our well-being, to ensure no one stands alone while protecting life in a changing world.” The foundation has already done much for the environment and vulnerable young people.
As a result of the work of the Sheth Sangreal Foundation, over 120,000 children worldwide have been impacted, and 50,000 miles of forest have been saved. Throughout the world, the foundation has 430 projects and over 90 ongoing partnerships with like-minded organizations, governments, local authorities, and communities. In addition, more than $60 million has been contributed to the Foundation’s efforts to save our planet and uplift the youth.
Sheth Sangreal Scholarship Fund Recipient: ‘Everything Changed for the Better’
This fall, Antonio Macedo Gonzalez will attend the University of Texas at Austin after graduating from Austin Achieve High School.
“Throughout my life, financial stability has been a harsh obstacle my family and I have faced,” Gonzalez said. “Once I received this scholarship, everything changed for the better. I can put all of my attention on becoming an accountant and helping lower-income communities achieve financial stability. For that, I cannot thank you enough. You have changed the trajectory of my life.”
Lamisa Mahmud, a graduate of Pflugerville High School, will attend Harvard University in the fall.
“This scholarship will help me pay for my education at Harvard and achieve the dreams I’ve worked so hard for. Also, instead of working long hours and worrying about student debt, I’ll be able to devote more time to the challenging course load that accompanies my desired major, neuroscience, to take advantage of all my resources,” Mahmud said. “Receiving this scholarship serves as the helping hand I need to achieve my goals, something that will greatly ease my stress during college and help me focus on how to improve the lives of others as an aspiring pediatric psychiatrist.”
The Stats
The scholarship recipients all graduated from Central Texas high schools. Some 70% of students are female, 65% are first-generation college students, and 90% are students of color.
Scholarship applications are open in the fall of each year, and awards are announced in the spring.
A total of $270,394 in scholarship awards was recently issued by Austin Community Foundation, in addition to the scholarships from the Sheth Sangreal Scholarship Fund. Students can use one application to apply to over 100 scholarship funds managed by the foundation.
The scholarships will help students in need realize their dreams while alleviating undue financial hardship.
More About Brian Sheth
In addition to being an entrepreneur and philanthropist, Brian Sheth is a conservationist. Born in Massachusetts, he graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economics.
After graduating, he worked for a private equity firm in San Francisco. It was reported in Forbes magazine in 2015 that Sheth was one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs under the age of 40. Forbes’ 2021 list also listed him among the wealthiest Americans.
As a child, Brian Sheth and his friend Wes Sechrest explored the forests of New England together. As a result, Sechrest became a globally renowned biologist, while Sheth became a highly successful entrepreneur. Their longtime friendship eventually established the Austin-based Global Wildlife Conservation Foundation (now rebranded as Re:wild) in 2008.
The Sheth Sangreal Foundation was founded by Sheth and his wife, Adria. The foundation supports environmental and educational initiatives. The foundation also donates millions to global wildlife conservation.
—
This content is brought to you by Hannah Madison.
Image provided by Sheth Sangreal Foundation