Kishwaukee College has named Davut Hanveliyev as the winner of the 2023 Gandhi/King Peace Scholarship. Hanveliyev was selected after submitting an essay where contestants were asked to outline a plan for a nonviolent response to the problems of hate and discrimination and draw upon the lives and writings of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Hanveliyev, of DeKalb, received a $500 Kish scholarship for the Spring 2023 semester, a certificate of achievement, and was recognized at the April Board of Trustees meeting. His entry was forwarded to the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) for consideration in the statewide Gandhi/King Peace Scholarship competition.
In his essay, Hanveliyev advocated embracing diversity through mutual respect to create a more understanding society.
“It is the diversity of people that adds an enriching element to any society, making it vibrant. Therefore, this enriching element should be acknowledged as an achievement,” Hanveliyev wrote in his essay.
Hanveliyev said he saw the essay prompt as an opportunity to share his perspective on social justice issues based on his exposure to different cultures outside the United States.
“I hope that this essay will help raise consciousness about how mutual respect and a commitment to nonviolence could lead us to build a society whose diverse members can thrive and develop themselves both intellectually and socially,” Hanveliyev said.
Currently studying computer science at Kish, Hanveliyev plans to earn an associate degree and graduate next spring before transferring to a four-year college to pursue a bachelor’s degree. He said he was drawn to Kish after talking with alumni about the support provided to its diverse student population.
Kishwaukee College is committed to a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, focused on respect and fairness, in all aspects of the College experience.
To read Hanveliyev’s essay in its entirety, visit www.kish.edu/iccta.