Cal State San Bernardino has announced a gift from the Ariana Mae Hatami Foundation to establish an endowed scholarship fund to provide support for students at CSUSB whose lives have been affected by domestic violence or human trafficking.

The endowment for the Ariana Mae Hatami Scholarship for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking was created to ensure a permanent source of ongoing funds for this vulnerable population of students.

Preference will be given to students who are homeless or have been physically displaced from their residence due to domestic violence. Preference will also be given to current or former foster youth enrolling at CSUSB whose lives have been affected by domestic violence.

The scholarship may be renewed from year to year as long as the recipient continues to make satisfactory academic progress.

“In the U.S., nearly 20 percent of the population has experienced domestic violence, and this endowment will go a long way toward helping CSUSB students who have experienced abuse further empower themselves through higher education,” said CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales. “We are exceedingly appreciative to the Ariana Mae Hatami Foundation and to the Hatami family for this generous endowment.”

Ariana Mae Hatami (1993-2016) was a student in the College of Business at San Francisco State University, until she died tragically on Dec. 17, 2016. Ariana’s parents, Farzin and Julie Hatami, established the Ariana Mae Hatami Foundation in their daughter’s memory.

The Ariana Mae Hatami Foundation, envisioned as a resource for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, will provide financial and/or emotional support to anyone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence. The Ariana Mae Hatami Foundation also works with local support agencies to connect victims to a wider network of support.

The scholarship will be administered through the university’s Educational Opportunity Program.

For more information about supporting CSUSB, visit the CSUSB Philanthropic Foundation website.