Scholarship to honor memory of Penn State undergraduate

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The family of Penn State student Shareef Elhadidi, who died on Feb. 2, has chosen to recognize the profound impact Penn State had on his life by creating a scholarship in his memory at the University.

Anecdotes shared by grieving friends and family have described Elhadidi as someone deeply devoted to helping others: He was an Eagle Scout who served his community; a computer science major who had only recently discovered his true passion for teaching; and a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity in Romania. He received the community service award from Zurich International School (ZIS) in Switzerland, and was a teacher and mentor to children in Morocco as well as a supporter of the Almoasa orphanage in Cairo. A rugby player who worried about injuries that befell the other team, he was a builder of computers for his friends, the steward of an online community that brought people together from around the world, and an international student orientation leader who helped incoming students integrate into the community and understand its resources. And he was a beloved son to his parents, Tarek Elhadidi and Rania Khedr, and older brother, Kareem Elhadidi.

To honor Shareef's lasting legacy, Rania Khedr and Tarek Elhadidi, along with Shareef’s brother, Kareem Elhadidi, have stepped forward with a generous gift to create the Shareef Elhadidi Endowed Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded annually to students in the College of Education with demonstrated financial need and who maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.0, with first preference given to students who are active in their community and who have given back in a meaningful way or have participated in Scouting.

As young adults, Tarek Elhadidi and Rania Khedr emigrated from their native Egypt to pursue their educational dreams in the United States. Tarek earned his doctoral degree in industrial engineering from North Carolina State University in 1992, and Rania earned her bachelor's degree in interior design from the University of Georgia in 1998. But their primary focus was always raising their two sons, Kareem and Shareef, who were both born in Georgia. Kareem went on to earn his degree in computer science from Purdue University.

Shareef Elhadidi’s educational journey took him from Woodward Academy in Atlanta to Zurich International School in Switzerland in eighth grade, and he launched his undergraduate career back in the United States at Penn State Abington in 2018 before transferring to University Park at the start of his junior year. At the time of his passing, he was in his final semester majoring in computer science in the College of Engineering.

“Shareef had a technical mind, but he told me not long ago that he really felt drawn to teaching because it felt like the most direct way of helping others to learn and thrive,” said Tarek Elhadidi. “He was always looking out for others, especially people who were disadvantaged or who needed a helping hand. Our family felt that there would be no better way to memorialize Shareef’s spirit of generosity than to create a scholarship that would help those with financial need.”

Since Shareef’s passing, the Elhadidi family has been hearing an outpouring of fond memories from those who were the beneficiaries of kindness from Shareef, from his helping a peer with autism acclimate to his new school to volunteering to push an injured student in a wheelchair to her classroom in another building, even though he’d be late for his own class.

“For Christmas, we bought him presents that didn’t end up fitting, so I gave him the receipts so he could exchange them and get what he wanted,” recalled Tarek ElHadidi. “But he asked me to simply return them and give the money to charity. He has been supporting a local orphanage in Egypt for years, so he bought mattresses and bed sets for the children. And that’s not an unusual story for Shareef because that was just how he operated in the world.”

Rania Khedr recalled, “Shareef wanted to adopt a child and was wondering if he would be a good dad. I am sure he would have been the best father, with his unconditional empathy, big smile, and the way he radiated positivity and happiness.”

Shareef was particularly proud of his time in Scouting, said his family. As an Eagle Scout, Shareef cleaned and cleared a series of trenches and dugouts that were left behind from World War II in Normandy, France; painted benches and cleared walking paths in Alsace, France; and, for his final project, soundproofed the recording studio at his high school.

“Shareef’s willingness to put the needs of others before himself, and his belief that he could improve people’s lives, were at his core. He was simply too good for this world,” said Kareem Elhadidi.

His family said they hope that this scholarship will enable other students to pursue the same path of generosity and kindness.

“Our hearts are with the Elhadidi family as they mourn their son and as we all reflect on the extraordinary ways he touched the lives of so many in the Penn State community and beyond,” said Kimberly A. Lawless, dean of the College of Education. “I feel a profound sense of gratitude that, even amidst these tragic circumstances, they have chosen to honor Shareef in a way that will not only indelibly commemorate his legacy at the University but will also tangibly help undergraduates who would otherwise struggle to meet the cost of the tuition. And the fact that this support will help students who embody Shareef’s spirit of generosity makes it a truly fitting tribute to how he lived his life.”

The Elhadidi family said they invite students and friends who were inspired by their son to consider contributing to the Shareef Elhadidi Endowed Memorial Scholarship.

Donors like the Elhadidi family advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients, and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.