Nadir Nizami Scholarship Arts

NADIR NIZAMI SCHOLARSHIP FOR THE ARTS: (HHS FPAC Students)

One (1) $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to a FPAC graduating senior from Howell High School who will be continuing their studies in the Arts in college.

My father, Nadir Nizami was born in Pakistan in the same year the country gained its independence. He had a love for the Talkies (black and white movies), music and Sufi poetry. There is an instrument in South Asia called a Harmonium - a mix of an accordion and a piano. It was his passion to learn to play it and sing along while he did so.

Of course, being one of 14 children did not help and he quickly realized he had to earn money and become independent himself. His father, my beloved grandfather, made him see the harsh reality that singing would not earn him enough money to help with the family expenses and he grew from a boy to a young man almost overnight.

Giving up his studies, he started working toward a better chance at life and his voice was never heard. He worked at the airline, learned the skills needed to move up and eventually got married. I am not sure when he bought his first harmonium, but I clearly remember seeing him practice for hours in the evenings after work and spending time with us.

I also remember seeing him struggling to remember the words of his favorite poems. I never realized he was self-taught and that it took hours of his time to practice one song. I have never seen a person so passionate as to go into a trance to learn and hone his skill. Slowly he got good enough to sing in front of his friends and family, eventually singing in front of his father.

The pride he felt is only imaginable but I know he was proud of his son because my grandfather was a man of few words and yet his son's singing made him say, "You sing beautifully". I think my dad must have been over the moon that day. He kept practicing and then one day I saw my dad on the stage of our local club singing in front of a huge crowd of his peers.

I was beaming, just like I beam when my son sings on this stage today. Thank you, Dad, you inspired me then and you still inspire me now.

• Be a student in the FPAC program.
• Continuing education will be in the Arts in college. What is your major?
• Write an essay in 500 word or less about:
  • Think of a time when you (the applicant) made an attempt to OVERCOME ADVERSITY in order to learn an Arts-related skill on your own.
  • Was it school-related or extracurricular?
• If someone can verify this information, please ask them to email us at
• How will you be using this skill once you graduate?