Project Summary

The Catherine Carlin Bashshur Scholarship Fund was established by ACS in memory of Mrs. Catherine Carlin Bashshur to benefit a student in grade 8 or above who demonstrates positive leadership qualities, dedicates time and resources to the service of others (both in and out of the school community), and maintains a minimum of a C+ average.

Mrs. Catherine Carlin Bashshur became ACS Beirut’s Head of School in the midst of extremely difficult conditions during the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990). Mrs. Bashshur was a true visionary pioneer in the field of education in Lebanon. ACS was the first school to invest in the professional development of school faculty, and under her leadership ACS became MSA-accredited. She also introduced the Lebanese and International Baccalaureate programs to the school, as well as establishing a parents’ committee that actively took part in ACS’ community and student life. Mrs. Bashshur was also active in NESA, starting as a school head representative, followed by an active member of the NESA Board of Trustees for more than ten years, and finally as NESA board president in her last year.

With the expatriate community largely gone following the conclusion of the civil war, the trustees, Mrs. Bashshur, and her team of dedicated expat and Lebanese teachers and staff redefined and revitalized ACS. The school embraced a majority of Lebanese students seeking an American system of education as well as development of leadership skills, lifelong engagement in learning, and personal integrity so often modeled by Mrs. Bashshur. In that way, The Catherine Carlin Bashshur Scholarship Fund seeks to support a student that represents the values exhibited by Mrs. Bashshur and strives for greatness in every sense of the word.