Help Masood achieve his Stanford dream!

Hi, my name is Sara Assadi and I am studying in undergraduate at the Toronto Metropolitan University. I am helping my beloved friend, Masood raise a GoFundMe to help fund his education since GoFundMe is unavailable in Pakistan. Here, he tells you his story:

My story: Passions, Work, and Designing for Change:

Hello! My name is Muhammad Masood Khan. I am a BA Communication and Design student with a 4.0 CGPA studying on a fully funded scholarship, at the Liberal Arts and Sciences college, Habib University in Karachi, Pakistan. I am 19 and currently in my 4th semester. I have completed my intermediate studies in pre-engineering through Sindh Board, Karachi. I'm happy to announce that I have been selected from a pool of exceptionally talented students after a rigorous screening for the Stanford International Honors Program for summer 2025. Due to high competition, my university could not grant me a scholarship that could help with the large sum of USD 20,000 for the program. Unfortunately, it is not possible for me to self-fund this major education opportunity.

At 16 losing my father to cancer at a time when I was close to pursuing higher education, made me worried and vulnerable that I wouldn't be able to pursue it anymore due to financial constraints, but I got to know about Habib University’s fully funded Merit scholarship for local board students which is offered to a select number of students every year. Working hard and keeping my academics at the forefront of my teenage life was the only way I could continue higher education and I fortunately did become the recipient of the 100% Merit scholarship. To invest further in my future and education for the cause of my community and have a chance to explore another part of the world, a summer at Stanford can open bigger gates for me in terms of education, opportunities, and networks. The sum of the program is a lot, especially for someone living in Pakistan, therefore I request you to help me fund this probably once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I want to avail.

I am passionate about design campaigns and projects that tackle issues like the erasure of culture and promote sustainable living through design research, especially in the context of Pakistan and South Asia. I also closely observe social circles and socio-economic issues in my city, therefore have I worked on projects related to sustainable living and urban design through design thinking and UI/UX methods. Such as:

These projects and my aspirations are fueled by my active personality and creativity. I am passionate about field research and UI/UX design along with multitudes of artistic practices like graphic design, performance and narrative art, music, and writing.

My commitment to the mentorship and leadership cause through my extracurriculars. My efforts to educate are also evident as I have conducted workshops on artistic skills I have garnered throughout. Some significant opportunities I have been a part of:

I have also managed to maintain a 4.0 CGPA, for which I have been on the Dean's Honors List and President’s List.

Why Stanford?

A summer at Stanford can provide me with the facilities, especially for research and design education in an international space. I want to take courses like Technology Entrepreneurship, Ethics and Politics of Public Service, and Cell Phone Media Art which can give me the space to create projects on topics like decolonization through design practices, accessibility through art and technology, advocacy, and public service and how it links with my field of arts, design, and visual media.

Being in the heart of technological playgrounds at Silicon Valley can help me access the knowledge of subversive expressions through art and its relation with modern-day technology. As I have also had a STEM background, I think to discover the best potential of the intersection of Arts and STEM, Stanford's multidisciplinary studies and collaborative seminars on such topics will catalyze that.

My sincere efforts towards education and studying liberal arts in Pakistan have made me able to reflect and care, especially for the suppressed communities in my region. I want to further enhance my education portfolio so I can continue working on projects like the above for the cause of our communities. Seeing how rare it is for someone to pursue higher education in Pakistan and also get the chance to attend an institution like Stanford, I am trying my best to afford this opportunity and I need your help, as money is the only factor that is stopping me from attending the Stanford IHP.

This is a major, one-of-a-kind opportunity for me to broaden my horizon for the cause of education, art, and culture. Every donation counts. As an international student it is less likely for me to afford Stanford for my master's so this is my chance where I can still achieve a meaningful experience of their exceptional education and the exciting state of California as a student from Karachi, Pakistan. Please help me attend a summer semester at Stanford for their International Honors Program.

Your support and generosity are invaluable!

Thank you and kind regards,

Masood Khan

Link to my LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muhammad-masood-khan-aaba1125a

My Proposal: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nqCAAhjVpdh5kqKTCqzxwXkGMUgTNVn8/view?usp=drivesdk

Program Dates: June 21st – August 17th, 2025

Total Estimated Cost: $19,793.00

Fee Breakdown:

I-20 fee: $160.00

Technology fees: $94.00

Document fees: $125.00

Subsidised tuition fee (8 units max): $9,261.00

Housing fees: $3,272.00

House dues: $97.00

Dining (15 meals/week): $1,953.00

Campus health service fee: $261.00

Health insurance: $1,905.00

Mail service fee: $30.00

Roundtrip airfare (Karachi–US): $1,700.00

Visa fee: $185.00

SEVIS fee: $350.00

Books and supplies: $300.00

Airport transfer: $100.00

Personal Expenses: $1000

Please take into account that GoFundMe charges a transaction fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per donation.