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Public Employee Press
Union
Scholarship Winners Ties that bind and inspire
By
JANE LaTOUR As she has done every year since 2000, DC 37 Education
Committee Chair Joan Reed, president of College Assistants Local 2054, introduced
the scholarship winners and their family members Sept. 12 at the unions
annual Scholarship Dinner-Dance. The students are our stars, she said.
The scholarships are just one of the many things we do through
the union to assist our families in furthering their educational goals,
said DC 37Executive Director Lillian Roberts. They can open the door to
a successful future. Education Fund Administrator Barbara Kairson
pointed out that with the cost of an education rising, many students are being
deprived of the means to achieve their dreams. For this reason, DC 37 is
proud to offer so many scholarships, she said. Family life often
provides the motivation to become a good student and offers experiences that add
an extra dimension to the search for fulfillment, as it has done for many of the
DC 37 scholarship winners. Lorraine Ramos of Clerical-Administrative
Local 1549 spoke about her son José, who is now studying at St. Johns
University. September 12 was the first anniversary of the death
of his grandmother. He was very close to her. In his essay, José
wrote about the impact her death had on his life. I always knew my grandmother
was proud of the good work Ive done. I began to use this as motivation.
She would like nothing more but to see me continue to succeed in life, if she
were still alive. Grandparents
give a boost Jessica Mofield, winner of the
Memorial Scholarship Award, is beginning her studies at Virginia State University
in pursuit of her dream: to become a psychologist. She was influenced by the deeply
personal experience of having a family member hooked on drugs. In her essay, she
said she wants to understand the compulsion of addiction in order to help other
young people in her community. My union really came through for
my daughter, said Jessicas mother, Cheryl Mofield of Housing Authority
Clericals Local 957. She was pleased that Jessicas grandfather Thomas Jones,
was able to be here to experience this event. Shes very close to him.
Hes a father figure and a mentor to the whole family. Lawrence
Wei Huang shared the event with his grandmother, Mrs. Fuqiong Lu, who immigrated
to America from China when he was in the 5th grade. She picked him up after school
every day and also taught him mathematics. A math teacher in China, she was able
to transfer her gifts to her grandson, who led the Stuyvesant High School math
team and ranked among the top 10 students in a nationwide math competition.
Last year, Lawrence traveled to China and was struck by the amazing
people and their culture. Respect for family and the elders is central to their
way of life, he said. Lawrence is starting at Stony Brook University, where
he plans to study computer engineering. Wei Huang, an electrical engineer in Civil
Service Technical Guild Local 375 is filled with pride when he speaks about his
smart, soft-spoken son. A summer caring for autistic children influenced
the career choice of Jan Victoria Alejado, who received the Evelyn Gaskin award.
In her essay she wrote, Intrigued by the childrens progress, I began
to research speech pathology. I discovered many prominent colleges offering speech
therapy. Now she is studying at New York University. College is very
expensive! The union scholarship helps us out, said her father, Victor Alejado,
a member of Municipal Hospital Employees Local 420. Gaining
on goals Victor Rivera, the winner of the Overcoming
Obstacles Award, has himself received help from speech pathologists. He attributed
the progress he has made in his studies to the time they shared with him. I
feel so fortunate that he received this scholarship and has the opportunity,
said his mother, Aurelia Ortega of Education Dept. Local 372. Rivera is now attending
the Borough of Manhattan Community College and plans to continue his studies at
Baruch College. Daniel Patrick White lost his father at 12 and grew up
very close to his grandfather Leo Brzynski, a retired member of Construction Laborers,
Highway Repairers and Watershed Maintainers Local 376. At the dinner Brzynski
spoke proudly about Dannys accomplishments and character. Hes
a good, studious fellow and he likes to help kids whenever he can. He has a good
head on his shoulders. Daniel, who received the Education Committee Award,
is currently a sophomore at Georgetown University.
How
to apply |
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The DC 37 Education Committee offers a number of scholarships
for the children and grandchildren of members and retirees. For information, visit
the union Web site at www.dc37.net.
For more information, call the DC 37 Education Fund at 212-341-4999. Many locals
of DC 37 also offer scholarships. For information, contact your local.
DC 37s national union, AFSCME, also offers scholarships. The deadline to
apply for the 2007 awards is Dec. 31, 2006. Applications can be obtained at www.afscme.org
or by calling the Education Dept. at 202-429-1250. | |
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