PEP Nov. 2002: Scholarship Winners

How to Apply for DC 37 and AFSCME Scholarships

“The Civil Rights Act and the labor movement endeavored to accomplish the same [goals] for all people. The mind-set from these movements was: ‘We can and we will.’ ”
— Brenza Bradford

Brenza Bradford is determined to succeed — in her education and in her life. The District Council 37 Disabled Scholarship Award winner is now completing her junior year at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Inspired by her mother, Local 1407 member Brenda Bradford, an auditor at the Dept. of Youth Services, the tenacious 20-year-old is working her way towards achieving her goals.
Brenza is looking forward to exploring the world of magazine publishing as a graphic artist. She’s also interested in the business aspects of publishing and would like to combine the artistic side of publishing with the marketing side of the business.
In addition to her career goals, the young woman has a history as an advocate for the rights of others.
As a student at the Stony Brook campus of the State University of New York, Brenza created an award-winning map of the campus for other students in wheelchairs.
She’s traveled to Albany to lobby for the rights of the disabled and currently serves on an advisory committee at FIT to ensure that reconstruction at the urban campus conforms to both state and federal law.
In her scholarship essay, Brenza writes about the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
She calls the ADA “one of the most significant experiences of my life. This [Act] offered a better quality of life for people with disabilities. The Civil Rights Act and the labor movement endeavored to accomplish the same for all people.
“The mind-set from these movements was: ‘We can and we will.’ I can attend most schools, choose a wide range of careers, and be a strong independent thinker with a successful future. Through the support and the influence of my family and my teachers I realized: ‘I can and I will.’ ”
Brenza is proud to be the recipient of the scholarship and vows to put it to good use. She flashes a winning smile as she says: “I want to justify the union’s faith in me.”

“Unions can make their voices heard through protests that fight the act of racial profiling and provide support and relief to its victims.”
— Ramya Angara

Ramya Angara is following in his father’s footsteps. The son of Local 375 member Rao Angara, a structural engineer for the Dept. of Environmental Protection in Corona, Queens, Ramya is a second year student in the School of Engineering at Columbia University.
He is hoping to combine his interest in operations research in the field of engineering with his interest in business. Ramya is one of the recipients of the scholarships awarded by the DC 37 Education Committee.
The talented teenager is working on a minor in economics and hopes one day to pursue a graduate degree. He aspires to work on a master’s in business administration after he completes his undergraduate studies.
In his prizewinning essay, Ramya identified the ways in which the world, in the wake of Sept. 11, was forced to examine the differences that draw boundaries between groups of people. He highlights the role that unions can play in bridging these gaps.
His essay examines the ways in which unions can emphasize tolerance and education. For example, unions can sponsor cultural programs to educate members about the Muslim faith. Unions can also raise their collective voices in response to the increase in racial profiling that is another direct result of 9/11.
He writes: “Unions can make their voices heard through protests, demonstrations and other activities that fight the act of racial profiling and provide support and relief to its innocent victims.
“The events of Sept. 11 were devastating, and their repercussions will be felt for years to come. However, through cooperation, teamwork, and education, people can gradually begin to bridge the numerous gaps and divides that have resulted from such events. Organizations such as unions can lead the way for these things to happen with their wide and powerful reach.”
Ramya’s attendance at an Ivy League school is a source of pride for his parents, as is his accomplishment as a DC 37 scholarship winner.

By JANE LaTOUR

DC 37’s commitment to education was forged in the 1960s.
Executive Director Lillian Roberts, then the union’s associate director, identified the need for programs that would provide a pathway to progress for the members. The District Council 37 Education Fund, which offers members the most extensive array of classes in the labor movement, was the outgrowth of that inspired concept.

The DC 37 Scholarship Program is another vehicle for making that commitment a reality. Students — the children and grandchildren of union members — apply for a large number of these scholarships. On Sept. 22, the 2002 Annual Scholarship Dinner Dance provided “a celebration of academic achievement” to honor this year’s winners.

Joan Reed, president of College Assistants Local 2054 and the chair of DC 37’s Education Committee, presented the awards.

“The Scholarship Program was extremely successful this year,” she observed. “We want it to grow even bigger. We received a tremendous amount of support from the locals.”

New York University Professor Miriam Frank, who served as a judge for the Memorial Scholarships, attended the event and commended the high quality of the recipients.

“This is a group of young people who have ambition and who did everything right to get into college — they got good grades in high school, they did extra curricular activities, performed volunteer activities — they’re beautiful kids!” she said.

Students such as Catherine Marzan and Kavita Sharma are examples of “the pride of DC 37.” Catherine is now a freshman at Marymount College in Tarrytown. Her father, Local 1549 member Liberato Marzan, works for the Dept. of Sanitation in the Bronx. Catherine attended Columbia University’s Summer Program on Leadership and the Law and is interested in the field of international studies.

Kavita Sharma, the daughter of Ram Sharma, a Local 371 member in the Dept. of Homeless Services, is another exceptional student. The young scholar is now in her junior year at St. John’s University. She is carrying a double major in biology and anthropology, and a double minor in chemistry and philosophy. Ms. Shama is studying to become a cardiologist and is currently interning at Long Island Jewish Hospital.

Scholarship Winners

DC 37 Education Committee Scholarship: Ramya Angara, Deepa Magge, Iva Pokorny and Kavita Sharma.
Evelyn Gaskin Scholarship: Lori Gratz and Serena Ramirez.
DC 37 Disabled Scholarship: Brenza Bradford and Jeremy Vasques.
DC 37 Memorial Scholarship: Berenice Arcuri, Yifan Ding, Karen Ganesh, Charles Lei, Catherine Marzan, Tene Nia Redmon, Laquan Robinson, Angela Marie Rovengo, Christopher Skeehan and Katherine White.
Local 375 Joseph E. Collins Memorial Scholarship: Shubha Bhar, Kimberly Cuozzo, Christopher Fell, Arvin Kheterpal, Marina Kliger and Chandani Patel.
Local 957 Scholarship: Denise Rogers, Ada Rodriguez and Derek Miller.
Local 1251 Scholarship: Omar Ahmed, Tremaine Charles, Francis Diaz, Miriam Dukes and Kenrick Tanner.
Local 1505 Bobbie Jean Johnson Memorial Scholarship: Taisha Colon, Christine Pisares and Anne Marie Turzilli.
Local 2054 Scholarship: Kelvin Aponte, Anthony Mosco, Joseph Perrotto and Brian Sibener.
The 2002 Union Plus Credit Card Scholarship awards for this year include three children of DC 37 members. They are Shubha Bhar, attending Cornell University, daughter of Local 375 member Bijay Bhar; Jimmy Mark, attending Columbia University, son of Local 372 member Ya Jun Mark; and Iva Pokorny, attending New York University, daughter of Local 1501’s Yvette Pokorny.

Ms. Bhar dreams of becoming a bioengineer “to apply my knowledge of math and science to solve environmental problems.” Ms. Pokorny is majoring in biochemistry with the goal of becoming a doctor.

The young Mr. Mark, who also excels at math and science, hopes to work with unions. “Since my mother joined, I have learned that unions can have a positive impact on the lives of their members,” he said. “Local 372, DC 37 and AFSCME mean security for my family.”