Few years ago, Mahmut knocked on the doors of countless institutions and foundations with high hopes and big dreams. He was accepted to Akdeniz University to study law. He wanted to become a prosecutor and had the will and passion to achieve his dream. All he needed was a scholarship to cover his cost of living in Antalya since his family in Adiyaman didn’t have the means to support him. He received nothing but rejections to his scholarship applications until one day a foundation offered him a hand that he greatly needed and deserved – Antalya Contemporary Education and Culture Foundation (ANTCEV).
After a careful process of reviewing his grades and motivations, ANTCEV awarded Mahmut with a scholarship and supported him throughout college. Four years later, Mahmut graduated as the top of his class, ready to take on the next challenge: getting his master’s degree and passing the bar exams in Ankara. But once again, he needed support for his living expenses. As he proved his difference with hard work and determination, ANTCEV decided to make an exception. For the first time in their history, they granted a graduate student with a scholarship. Today, Mahmut serves as a chief prosecutor in Antalya and supports students in need, just like he was supported through ANTCEV.
There are hundreds of hard-working individuals spread all over Turkey, all once empowered by ANTCEV through scholarships. Ilker is a science professor who discovered four new plant varieties in Antalya. Kemal, a classroom teacher in Isparta wrote a math book that entered the curriculum of elementary schools. Merve is taking care of people as an emergency doctor in Iskenderun, while Yusuf, who earned a PhD in biology works on plant genetics in Antalya. Each and every one of ANTCEV scholarship recipients are outdoing themselves because they had the chance to pursue their dreams with the support of generous donors. As ANTCEV empowers young minds by providing equal opportunities in education, their next mission is to build a youth center. Designed to fit dormitories for students and classrooms for educational trainings, ANTCEV’s youth center will have a supermarket and auto-park to achieve sustainable income for the foundation’s expenses. Take a look at ANTCEV’s project to help them build their youth center.