Celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, will soon be underway. Not as well-known (nor celebrated) is the date of the signing of the U.S. Constitution: September 17, 1787. However, in 1952, the United States Congress designated September 17 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. In honor of both, UHD offers a special scholarship opportunity. 

This fall, UHD’s Center for Public Service and Community Research (CPSCR) will award three $1,000 scholarships to students who are in the process of becoming U.S. citizens. To qualify for this scholarship opportunity, students must: 

  • Be a full-time student in good standing at UHD in the fall 2026 semester
  • Have completed 12 credit hours at UHD
  • Have an immigration status of AR1, ASY, or REF
  • Provide a copy of their n-400 Application for Naturalization receipt
  • Write a winning 1,500-word essay 

Last year, two scholarships were awarded to Filmon Teweldebrhan, Computer Science, and Anaisa Paez Escobar, Accounting. Their essays both touched on what citizenship means to them, addressing belonging as well as struggles faced like refugee camps, dangerous border crossings, and flight from countries ruled by dictators, whose goal is to hoard opportunity and prosperity for themselves and a select few.  

“Being a U.S. citizen means much more to me than obtaining a legal document,” said Escobar. “Arriving in the United States felt like breathing freedom for the first time.” A committed volunteer at Katy School District, Escobar came to Houston from Cuba and had to balance her studies and motherhood, all while learning English.  

For his part, Teweldebrhan hails from Eritrea, arriving via Ethiopia with family and friends, following his father after the elder had already come to the US once he won a citizenship lottery at a US embassy. “We set out across the Mereb River under cover of night, surrounded by danger,” he wrote in his winning essay. He described the journey’s “eerie howls of hyenas, the rush of the river’s current, the constant fear of being spotted by soldiers whose job was to stop people from leaving,” before going on to write that the journey of citizenship is one of “growth, responsibility, and hope.”  

Interested students should email CPSCR Director Steven Villano at villanos@uhd.edu for the essay requirements and rubric. Completed essays must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, September 8. Winners will be announced the week of September 15.