Eleven AFSCME Members, Family Members Win Union Plus Scholarships

$150,000 Awarded to 108 Students Representing 40 Unions

Eleven of the 2008 Union Plus Scholarship recipients represent the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). They are among 108 students from 40 unions awarded a total of $150,000 in Union Plus Scholarships.

“With credit so tight, prices rising and fewer loans available to students who want to attend college, scholarship programs like these are more important than ever,” says Leslie Tolf, president of Union Privilege, the organization that administers the scholarship program.

This year’s AFSCME scholarship winners are:

Shirlana Dash of Philadelphia, who is a member of Local 2187 ($1,000);
Lucas Espinoza of Miller Place, NY, whose mother Janet Espinoza is a member of Civil Service Employees Association/AFSCME Local 852 ($1,000);
Steven Flowers Jr. of Cheektowaga, NY, whose father Steven Flowers Sr. is a member of CSEA/AFSCME Local 815 ($4,000);
Adrianna Garcia of Kenai, AK, whose father Jose Garcia is a member of Local 803 and whose mother Jacqueline Garcia is a member of Local 52 ($4,000);
Nicholas Hilgeman of Whitehouse, OH, whose mother Michele Shepler is a member of Local 3794 ($1,000);
Maureen Janulewicz of Auburn, MA, who is a member of Local 3900 ($1,000);
Emerald Katz of Soledad, CA, whose father Ira Katz is a member of Local 2620 ($1,000);
Jessica Kennedy of Clarkston, MI, whose mother Cynthia Kennedy is a member of Local 1472 ($1,000);
Amy McAuliffe of Pittsburgh, whose mother Joy McAuliffe is a member of AFSCME Local 972. Both Amy and her father Robert McAuliffe are members of United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW) Local 1324 ($500);
Chiamaka Onyejiukwa of Jamaica, NY, whose father Richard Onyejiukwa is a member of Local 299 ($750); and
Nicholas Patané of Old Forge, PA, whose father Camillo Patané is a member of Local 2327 ($1,000).

The 11 AFSCME winners come from a wide array of personal and family backgrounds. But perhaps no one comes from quite so diverse or dynamic a background as Adrianna. “My mother was born and raised in Sri Lanka,” she says, “and my father was raised on a Native American Reservation. As a girl we lived in Detroit, and then when I was 11 we moved to Alaska.” It might sound like a pretty severe culture shock, but according to Adrianna, “I have never looked back. Here, I have continued my path and grown closer to the person I hope to become.” That path includes studying medicine and becoming a doctor.

Adrianna has experienced some pretty big changes in her life. But in recent years the family has enjoyed the security that comes from having two parents who are AFSCME members. “The union has provided stability and reassurance in my home,” she says. “The union’s impact has been evident on my daily life. Together, my parents have instilled a life of compassion and generosity within me, teaching me to give instead of take and always wholeheartedly pursue my goals.”

Union Plus Scholarship awards are granted to students attending a two-year college, four-year college, graduate school or a recognized technical or trade school. Since 1992, Union Plus has awarded more than $2.4 million in scholarships to union families.

Recipients are selected based on academic ability, social awareness, financial need and appreciation of labor. Applications for next year's scholarships will be available in September 2008 on the AFSCME.org site.

Union Privilege offers an array of benefits that save money for union members and their families. These include mortgage and finance benefits, education and insurance benefits and even money-saving offers on health services and vacations. AFSCME members can visit the AFSCME Advantage section of AFSCME.org to find out more.

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American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
1625 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-5687
Telephone (202) 429-1145
Fax (202) 429-1120

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