Raised in Germany, Dilek Tas was not your typical undergraduate student. She had known poverty and had faced numerous personal challenges, yet she knew the power that education could have in changing her life. Working full-time as a flight attendant as she volunteered with a veteran’s support group, Tas sought a degree program that would allow her to balance her work, personal life, and studies. She enrolled in the NYU SPS Division of Applied Undergraduate Studies (DAUS) to pursue her interest in history and international affairs, with the goal of eventually working for the United Nations or an NGO. The BS in Social Sciences program taught her to adapt to unforeseen challenges and to gain a deep understanding of the cultural, historical, and political forces that influence every facet of our lives. Flexible course schedules and supportive faculty members helped her to earn her degree with high honors as she traveled the world. Scholarships and financial aid made her education affordable.
Recently, this proud DAUS alumna won a Charles B. Rangel Graduate Fellowship. The Fellowship provides $84,000 for graduate school and a fast track to becoming a Foreign Service Officer in the US State Department. Tas is planning to pursue a graduate degree focused on Middle Eastern history. She is NYU's first Rangel Scholar since 2015!