NEW YORK – A New York female Muslim student has been named as one the recipients of this year’s Marshall Scholarship, giving her a chance to offer a fresh and independent voice to intellectual conversations on her faith.

“It was such an extensive process and it took a lot of time,” Faiza Masood said in an interview about the famed scholarship, founded in 1953 in honor of the late Secretary of State George C. Marshall, Times Ledger reported on Wednesday.

“It was a miracle and I was so grateful.”

Masood is one of only two students in New York state to receive the scholarship this year, out of a nationwide group of 40 students.

Masood, the first Hunter College student to be granted the honor, intends to use the scholarship to earn a master’s degree studying Islamic law with an emphasis on gender studies and family law at the University of London or Oxford.

The young student intends to explore different religions and her Muslim faith from different perspectives.

“We need more female opinions within this field. I feel like I represent a Muslim and female voice within Islamic scholarship and that means a lot because there are very few Muslim women in this field,” she said.

“If males are dominating the field, they’re not going to highlight women’s issues and family issues.”

As a religion major, she wanted to offer people the opportunity to learn about her religion through the prism of faith.

“People are curious and want to learn about Islam. They ask questions about Islam to me, and I just wish there were more opportunities to learn, because unfortunately most people hear about Islam from the news or other media outlets,” she said.

“That’s what’s motivating me in my studies — to be part of that dialogue.”