For Immediate Release
Friday, May 31, 2002
AFSCME Family Members to Pursue Academic Goals Through Union Plus Scholarship Assistance
$150,000 Awarded in 2002 to Students Representing 32 AFL-CIO Unions
WASHINGTON —One AFSCME member and 10 children of AFSCME workers have been selected to receive 2002 Union Plus Scholarship awards. The award winners are among 101 students, representing 32 AFL-CIO unions, who have been selected to receive $150,000 in scholarships from the Union Plus Scholarship program this year. The program's top $4,000 award went to 8 students, while 80 students attending four-year institutions received awards ranging from $500 to $3,000. Thirteen students attending community colleges and trade schools will receive scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,000.
The Union Plus Scholarship program is an example of the labor movement's commitment to higher education. Since 1992, the Union Plus Scholarship program has helped fulfill the educational dreams of students representing more than 13 million working families across the nation. The Union Plus scholarships are presented annually to union members or members of their family who want to begin or continue their secondary education.
The 11 award recipients include (listed in alphabetical order by name, with top award winners listed first): Bridget Draxler (daughter of Pat Draxler, Local 0774, $3,000); Shubha Bhar (daughter of Bijay Bhar, Local 375, $1,000); Brandi Faith (daughter of Robert Faith, Local 3600); Kiri Feldman (daughter of Ellis Feldman, Local 3300, $1,000); Jennifer Glum (daughter of Gail Hepper, Local 2703, $1,000); Anthony Kosky (son of Lois Kosky, OAPSE Local 4, $1,000); Jimmy Mark (son of Ya Jun Mark, DC 372, $1,000); Iva Pokorny (daughter of Yvetta Pokorny, Local 1501, $1,000); Kristin Stanton (daughter of Eloise Stanton, Local 2729, $1,000); Tyler Van Put (CSEA Local 1000 member and son of Edward and Judy Van Put, CSEA Local 1000, $1,000); and Michael Carter (member of Local 3669, $500).
Bridget Draxler, a graduating high school senior, who graduated number one in her class with a 4.4 GPA, will be attending St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN) in the fall and majoring in English. She has won excellence awards for music, a gold award at a state French contest, she played soccer, tennis, and skied competitively, was a member of marching, pop, and jazz bands, as well as a solo ensemble, and a member of the school newspaper staff.
Her eventual goal is "to earn a Ph.D. to teach literature at the collegiate level.." And a true love it is, she says, "I gained a passion for reading in my youth which has only grown with time." And a passion for the union, which she says enabled her growth: "With the flexibility of the union, my mother was able to work part time at the local county library while earning her degree. Her life has taught me the power of books, the importance of setting goals, and the necessity of education to reach these goals."
Shubha Bhar, says this is when she knew how she would apply her passion for science: "As I stood at the rim of the boat watching the images of our surroundings flash in the water, I imagined that we were traveling backwards through time. The environment we were in was indescribable. It was something that I would have expected to see 100 years ago. Our surroundings were teeming with animal life, with clams lining the edges of the mud flats, eagles and rare gulls flying through the air, and sea horses and jellyfish swimming in the water. I realized what made the place so different - the animals were not in our habitat, but rather, we were intruding in theirs. It was only then that I realized the enormous impact human life had on the environment and animals."
With a 3.87 GPA, and numerous academic achievement awards, it is not unusual that Bhar has the enviable problem of choosing one of three prestigious universities to attend - Princeton, MIT and Carnegie Mellon. The bioengineering major is also a poet, published in the Journal Francais, and a winner of an Indian classical music award from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Still, the Governor's School on the Environment experience stays with her the most. "I want to be a bioengineer because I not only want to research and learn about new biological problems, but I also want to be involved in the technology that will allow me to solve these problems. As an engineer, I will be able to apply my knowledge of math and science to solve environmental problems. In the future, I also want to be involved in promoting environmental awareness. It is an understatement to say that environmental issues are important. The environment we live in shapes our lives, our health, and our economy."
Brandi Faith, a high school senior, who maintained a 4.0 GPA and is ranked number one in her senior class, is planning to attend Northwestern University in the fall, and study psychology, Spanish and writing. Faith's interests and achievements have been diverse. She's been a member of the National Honor Society, a four-year member of the foreign language club, was elected to student council, a member of the marching band and concert band, and was a four-year member of the varsity softball team and the varsity cheerleading squad. In her "free time," she took instruction in tae kwon do. She's reached the level of 2nd degree black belt. But all of her achievements have not kept her insulated from real-life issues.
The seriousness of being part of a union family led Faith to write extensively about the resulting familial life-changes: "A strong leader, my father gained full respect of his union through his clever research, confidence in speaking, and simple understanding of right from wrong. But, perhaps he made a few enemies along the way, as well. His company, avid opponents of union policies, ultimately found a way to legally close the entire branch that held this union. For standing up for his fellow employees, my father was laid off."
My father's job loss affected my entire family. For one thing, money became very tight with only one working parent. The thing that affected us more deeply, however, was the new lifestyle my father would have to acquire. My brother and I must have been a bit spoiled all these years, because my father was always able to attend our ball games, band concerts, or other important events. He was always around after school, and then for dinner. Now, though, he was in search of a job, and forced to move like a nomad from one job to another. He tried everything from driving a semi to assembly-line factory work where the sound of the word 'union' would get a person fired immediately. ..Finally, the search ended. My father found an occupation that appears to be permanent. The good news is that the job has a very strong union. He has already joined at his new job. He wants to be a part of the group that protects labor rights."
Brandi Faith explains how this hardship impacted her life, "Though it never should have happened, my father's unemployment has taught me unforgettable lessons. I have learned lessons about saving money, and that a father will do almost any job to support a family. And, while maybe I should have learned that if you fall, you must get back on the horse. Once laid-off for representing one, my father does not hesitate to again join a union that will protect worker's rights."
Kiri Feldman, a graduating high school senior, who ranked number one in her class while maintaining a 4.0 GPA, is expecting to choose between attending the University of Maryland at College Park, University of Illinois at Urbana, or Northeastern University in Boston. Feldman, who was profiled in Who's Who Among American High Students, plans to study engineering, is highly decorated. She was a National Honors Society member, a finalist in the state of Maryland's distinguished scholar contest, was recognized by the University of Maryland for outstanding achievement in French, and served as a three-year special education tutor. These are amazing accomplishments for someone who suffered a long bout with pneumonia over the last year.
"My pneumonia was probably contracted by my exposure to the virus while volunteering at the hospital. It was complicated by my asthma, which is hereditary and also affects my father and brother. If we were born a century earlier, it is likely that our health would be seriously endangered by exposure to unclean environments."
Interestingly, it is such ailments that Feldman plans on treating as a biomedical engineer. "When most people envision occupations that involve helping people, engineering may not spring to mind. Analyzing data, making calculations - these tasks seem to lack a social dimension. To the contrary, applied science benefits society by presenting solutions to real-world issues and improving the quality of life. .. As a biomedical engineer, I might research viral infections like pneumonia or locate a germ for asthma. Biomedical engineering allows medical professionals to diagnose and monitor their patients more accurately through its invention of high-tech instrumentation and medical technology."
Feldman also explains how her illness has provided a real-life lesson on the importance of unions. "The policies that unions have fought for have benefited my own life in ways both big and small and have affected my personal educational and career goals. As a union member, my father was able to take time off from work to take me to the doctor and fill my prescriptions. My mother, on the other hand, whose private-business employer was recently bought out in the midst of the economic downturn, cannot afford such a luxury. The ability to take time off when needed, as well as the reduced price of medication his health insurance provides, reflects how the goal of unions has improved different aspects of my life."
Jennifer Glum, a liberal studies major who recently completed her junior year at Concordia College (Irvine, CA), is working towards becoming a teacher. "I have always had a passion to teach and have decided to go into elementary education with my concentration in mathematics. I have chosen to become a teacher because I feel that children need to be shown individually how special they are so they can become leaders and achieve the goals they set. I plan to lead a successful career as a 6th grade teacher and return to the school district where I grew up. I would love to be a role model for pre-teens so they have someone positive to look up to. The appeal and intrigue in my work will keep me excited and busy throughout the years and financially stable."
Her goal of sharing knowledge she says reflects what she herself has learned from her mother, and from her mother's union experiences. "With my mother being a single parent and in the union, it has helped our family a lot throughout the years. The union gives my mother support and power - power that helps her make decisions about promotion policies, job security and better wages. The union gives my mother a place to go when she has problems. ..The union helps negotiate better wages for a better life style. This has shown me that when I start looking for a job, I will be looking for one with a union to help protect my interests."
Anthony Kosky, an honors student planning to attend DeVry Institute of Technology and begin a career in computer information systems, is himself a member of Teamsters Local 4329T. He is a member of the National Honor Society and has a GPA of 3.95. He also served as a teacher's aide in the school computer lab and played football and tennis while working part-time.
While his union membership qualified him for the scholarship, it is his mother's union that kept their family afloat during tough times. "In March of 1993, my father died at 42 from Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer," says Kosky, who is an only child. "He was diagnosed only 17 days earlier. It was a very stressful time for both me, and my mom, who wasn't working. She was so worried about getting a good job with benefits that would enable us to maintain our way of life. My grade school principal advised her to take the Civil Service Exam for public schools, which she successfully did. By September of that year, she was working part-time for the public school system as a secretary. She had a union job and, for the first time in a long time, had something to smile about again. She later tested into a full-time position and now we both know that we have good, affordable medical insurance, dental insurance and vision care. I know this is because of the union job."
Amanda Greaves, Kosky's high school language arts teacher, says that any college would be wise to accept him. "As a student and human being, Anthony has been a pleasure to work with: thoughtful, reliable, intelligent, cooperative and steady in his pursuit of his educational goals. But none of these attributes, while accurate descriptions of Anthony, give quite the whole picture of his qualities. There is in his presence always a quickness, a sensitivity to family and others, an interest in you as an individual, which is wholly genuine."
Kosky says his determination is unwavering, vowing to honor his father's last request. "On his deathbed, my father made me promise that I would go to college and excel in my life. My dad had two college degrees in English and biology. He was a technical writer and he strongly believed in higher education. I believe in myself and in higher education and I will not break the final promise to my father."
Jimmy Mark, a graduating senior with a 97.13 average (top 5 percent of a class of 656), is planning to attend one of three prestigious universities — Yale, Harvard or the University of Pennsylvania — and major in economics. A member of the National Honor Society, and a National Merit semi-finalist, Mark achieved high distinctions at one of the nation's top high schools, especially recognized for its academic training in math and science. Mark, who will be the first member of his family to attend college, took and performed well on the most rigorous advanced placement and honors courses ranging from the sciences, math, economics, Spanish and English. This training, he says, along with additional instruction in economics, will lead him to operating his own business.
"Ever since I was a young child, I have always dreamed of starting and operating my own business. Perhaps the strongest motivating factor behind this childhood aspiration has come from watching my parents, as I grew up, struggle day in and day out with their frustrating jobs. Both worked in non-union establishments, my father as a cook in a restaurant and my mother as a seamstress in a factory, where the bosses always seemed to reap the fruits of their labor without giving them much in return. Thus, I witnessed firsthand how negligent employers can have a negative impact on a family financially and emotionally.
As a result, I decided, even at an early age, that I would someday be my own boss. This would allow me to escape the difficulties that my parents faced as workers, and at the same time provide me with a chance to be part of the solution." And that solution, he says, includes working with unions.
Mark explains: "Since my mother joined AFSCME, I have learned that unions can have a positive impact on the lives of its members. ..AFSCME has meant security for my family. My father [who is 70 years old] has been retired for more than five years, which makes the paycheck that my mother brings home every month crucial to the well-being of our family. Moreover, in these uncertain times, it is comforting to know that my mother's job is protected by union contracts."
Iva Pokorny, a $4,000 AFSCME award winner last year, who recently completed her freshman year at New York University (NYU) with a 3.79 GPA, is majoring in biochemistry with the goal of becoming a doctor. A recipient of NYU's Sokol award for chemistry, Porkorny has also made her mark by competing on the fencing team, and serving as editor of an arts magazine. In her high school years, Pokorny, a Czech Republic immigrant who came to the U.S. when she was 8, distinguished herself as a linguist, speaking Czech, fluent German and English, and is considered an exemplary writer and extraordinary artist (working both in drawing and painting). But it is the sciences that is her forte.
"My love for science, especially biology, made me decide to major in biology and maybe pre-med," she says of her college aspirations. "All my life I've wanted to be a dentist or a veterinarian, to help people or animals in some way." These goals probably would not be attainable, she says, without the support the union provides her mother. "In my 10th grade year, I took American history and one of the subjects we studied was the labor movement and the establishment of the union. I was impressed by the amount of courage people had and the great organization that started it all. It seemed completely logical to establish such an organization, and I couldn't help thinking that people take advantage of it nowadays not realizing how much their lives are improved. My parents and I are extremely proud to be a part of this country, and part of this organization, which helps so many different people in so many ways. Without the help of the union, we probably wouldn't be where we are today."
Kristin Stanton is a 3.75 GPA National Honor Society student, who plans to attend Wilmington College (Wilmington, OH). She is a high academic achiever with three-sport high school varsity letters in volleyball, basketball and fast pitch softball. She intends to major in athletic training.
"My goal is to become a certified athletic trainer so that I may be able to help others in need. In my heart, I feel the desire to touch people's lives the way my father touched mine. I will accomplish this dream by assisting people to recovery while stressing the importance of maintaining their health."
This institutional link to other's lives, she says, is something she came more to understand in very personal ways as her father suffered from and eventually died from cancer last year. She explains: "My mother belongs to AFSCME and from her I have learned much about it. I understand how important it is to have representation and benefits at the workforce. When my father became unable to work, my sister, brother, and I were living off of my mother's income. It was truly a security to know that with the union, my family and I would get on our feet again after this tragic fall. I have learned only a tiny part of what the world has in store, but I do know that without the security of the union, we would not be where we are today. With that, I feel I am a stronger, more independent woman, who won't stop until I reach the top and obtain my dream."
Tyler Van Put, a 3.89 student who ranked number three in his class, was a member of the National Honor Society, and qualified for his high school's honor roll or high honor roll in every semester, is planning to attend Cornell University in the fall. Van Put, who was elected to student council, lettered in varsity basketball and soccer, and participated in band activities, is especially remembered for one very special volunteer activity.
Van Put, who plans on studying industrial relations, and practicing labor law, says "During my senior year, I wanted to create a special community-service project. After the September 11 tragedy, I decided to initiate a way to raise money for the Red Cross. Because of my background in music, I planned to incorporate music into the project, and I chose to organize and promote a concert that would include other local schools." Van Put says he contacted the music teachers from nearby schools, both long-standing sports rivals, who were inspired by the idea, and agreed to join the program. "I explained that I was planning a benefit concert, and the money received would be sent to the Red Cross. The Red Cross thought the idea was a great one, and said that a representative would attend the concert to support my efforts and accept the money." And what started as a concert, blossomed into art and English displays showcasing student drawings, poems and stories relating to patriotic themes. Teachers and family members also baked goods to sell at the concert.
Van Put continues: "The concert was held on November 5. ..I was very proud to have organized this event. In the end our donation totaled $906.03. The money aided the Red Cross and the World Trade Center disaster recovery efforts, and helped foster a sense of unity in our three schools."
Van Put, who himself is also an AFSCME member, working for the state's department of environmental conservation, adds that because of family illnesses, the scholarship award is timely. "My family has had unusual medical expenses, with my mother hospitalized in 2000 due to an accident, and my father diagnosed with cancer and undergoing treatment." He adds that his future goals are only one way of giving back to the union. "Cornell University offers a great program in the school of industrial and labor relations. I will be able to learn about labor unions, and I hope someday to be able to help improve conditions in the union, especially for new members like me."
Michael Carter, a member of AFSCME Local 3669, is a returning education student who recently completed his freshman year at Chemeketa Community College (CCC) in Salem, OR. "All I knew for certain was that 33 years of working in construction had taken its toll," he explains in saying what led to his decision to leave construction and enter a new field at 51 years of age. "My physical capabilities were in decline and so was my verve. An ankle that was broken in a past accident was particularly bothersome. Even though I had been a foreman for several years, the work was still arduous."
Carter, who has maintained a 4.0 GPA, is now almost half way through course work leading to an associate's degree in business technology. "When I decided to attend CCC, I was seeking a different career. Now I can actually visualize the transition being completed. After finishing this program, the agency that currently employs me has an entry-level position I am confident I can qualify for. This position offers a salary, which approaches the wage I made as a union carpenter. Securing this job, or one like it, would make it possible to achieve my goals; to change careers, to earn a living wage, and to work at something I enjoy doing."
His desire for a career change, he says, has not affected his view of the importance of unions. Carter explains: "I first joined the union at the age of 14. Therefore, I have a very long history of union membership. I have always supported my local by attending meetings regularly, voting on the issues, and keeping my dues current. When I left construction to take a maintenance position for a local government agency, I immediately joined the union [AFSCME]. ..I am a proactive union member who will have more time to devote to union activities when I graduate from school."
A Challenging Process
The students selected for awards represent a wide sampling of demographics, union affiliations, goals and accomplishments. Representatives from the American Association of Community Colleges, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and the United Negro College Fund judged the applications.
According to the judges, the caliber of students this year made the selection process very challenging. The students are from diverse backgrounds, and as a whole, they received top SAT scores, were well-rounded in their studies and extracurricular activities, and they understood the value of working families and union membership.
How the Scholarship Program Works
In addition to demonstrated academic ability, applicants submitted essays of no more than 500 words describing their career goals, detailing their relationship with the labor movement, and explaining why they are deserving of a union scholarship.
The program is open to members, their spouses and dependent children of unions that are participating in any Union Plus program. Individuals must be accepted into an accredited college or university, community college or recognized technical or trade school at the time the award is issued. Members do not have to purchase any Union Plus program product or participate in any Union Plus program to apply.
The program is funded and administered by Union Privilege and Household Credit Services, the provider of the union-endorsed Union Plus Credit Card.
2003 Applications
Applications for the 2003 awards will be available in September 2002. To download the application from the Union Privilege web site, go to www.unionplus.org. Or, send a postcard with your name, return address, telephone number and international union affiliation to: Union Plus Scholarship Program, P.O. Box 34800, Washington, DC 20043-4800.
The application deadline is January 31, 2003. Recipient's names for the 2003 program will be announced May 31, 2003. However, due to the high volume of applications only winners will receive notification.
