Faiza Islam, a distinguished member of Upper Darby High School’s Class of 2025, is the recipient of the 2025 Joseph Batory Scholarship.

The award was made at the Upper Darby Senior Awards Night on May 29, 2025.

Faiza has earned “distinguished honor roll” status in each of her four years at Upper Darby High School. In her senior year, she achieved recognition on the National English Honors Society, the National Math Honors Society and the National Social Studies Honors Society.  She ranks among the top 5% academically in a class of 960 students and has also been involved in a variety of volunteer service activities.

Faiza has been accepted by several topnotch area universities. Her hirst choice is Thomas Jefferson University with her aspirations to major in radiology.

Over more than three decades, the personally-funded Joseph Batory Scholarship has been awarded to 41 different Upper Darby graduates.

Batory has always left the selection of his annual scholarship recipient in the hands of the Upper Darby High school staff,  urging only that there be academic promise and financial need as the criteria for the graduate to receive his scholarship award.

70 languages are spoken in the homes of Upper Darby High School students. And so, it is not surprising that he ethnic backgrounds of previous  Joseph  Batory Scholarship recipients have been remarkably diverse:  Here are just some of these Batory awardee names: Ali; Garcia-Castillo; Kurbaj: Ong; Arsenlis; Ko; Shah; Mozdzanowska; Phan; Khawaja; Ferdaus; Nguyen; Lai; Phung; Hussain and Ansari. 

“I continue to be amazed at the products of Upper Darby High School.” Summarized Batory, whose leadership in Upper Darby produced numerous innovations and achievements in the school system. “While high schools which educate students from affluent and basically homogenized communities regularly get public acclaim, Upper Darby is truly underrated because it has a  consistent track record of  making a positive difference for all who come to them.”