Originally published on einpresswire.com.
San Diego philanthropist David Malcolm is pleased to announce Iuliia Porfireva as a recipient of the 2022 David Malcolm Scholarship. Iuliia is a graduate student at the University of San Francisco with a 3.65 GPA.
Iuliia will receive $2,500 to help pay for her graduate studies.
David Malcolm created the scholarship specifically for students who have overcome obstacles to pursue educational achievement and require help to continue on this path to success. As a long-time community leader with an extensive history of philanthropic work, he's keen on supporting youth development, particularly in education.
Having built his career in real estate from the ground up, beginning with earning his real estate license in high school, David Malcolm understands the benefits of pursuing higher education. As he has said, “I make it a point to help more and invest time into more people than I was helped during my career. I like to say, 'The world is round.' If you do the 'right thing' by helping others, you somehow are 'repaid' with good that comes your way. After receiving an overwhelming number of scholarship applications, I found that Iuliia's story resonated strongly, and I'm delighted to announce she is one of two scholarship recipients this year."
Iuliia grew up in a small village in Russia, knowing from a young age the challenges she would face in her country as a woman. As she wrote in her David Malcolm Scholarship application, "The only time I saw women leave my hometown was to pursue a college education. I sensed that education could be a means of escape."
After winning the YEAR Program, a unique opportunity for exceptional Russian students to study for one year in the United States, Iuliia received a full scholarship to study journalism at West Liberty University in West Virginia in 2018. Iuliia then dedicated her time to reaching young women from challenging backgrounds like hers to help them speak their minds.
In just the last two years, she has reached 50,000 students by publishing the free online monthly magazine she created, Open-Minded. In the publication, she features young women living in post-Soviet Union states who accomplish great things.
Her other accomplishments include becoming a Forbes Education Contributor and serving as a speaker at the UNESCO International Forum Eurasia Global in 2020. As a grantee of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Iuliia organized a forum called For Women By Women (FWBW), which attracted 2,000 members.
Now, Iuliia is pursuing her master's degree in professional communication at the University of San Francisco. In her application essay for the David Malcolm Scholarship, she wrote, "Graduating is my best option for a peaceful and meaningful future, it would allow me to focus my attention on my graduate education and the initiatives I continue to pursue to help women."
About David Malcolm
David Malcolm is a San Diego-based entrepreneur, real estate expert, and community leader. Having a long and successful career in real estate, he believes in the importance of giving back. Among his various philanthropic endeavors, he is most passionate about helping the homeless get their lives back on track. He and his wife Annie also support two San Diego gymnasiums and other charitable nonprofits.