PARSIPPANY, N.J. – After thoroughly reviewing student applications for the 2023-2024 scholarships of the Ukrainian National Association (UNA), the UNA Scholarship Committee met on August 8 here at the Home Office to make its final determinations.
The credentials of the applicants were excellent, and some students applied for more than one scholarship for which they were eligible. Thus, the decisions of the Scholarship Committee were challenging. The criteria used by the committee included academic achievement; community and college activity; awards and honors; and content of essays submitted with the application.
This year, there were 44 applicants from 23 UNA branches throughout the United States and Canada for the scholarships and awards.
Special scholarships awarded by the UNA include the following for undergraduate students, funded by generous benefactors: the Joseph and Dora Galandiuk Scholarship ($2,000) for a student excelling in accounting or the sciences; the newly established Orest and Lidia Bilous Family Foundation Scholarship ($2,000) for a student who is studying political science; the Dmytro and Slava Jarosewycz Memorial Scholarship ($1,000) for a student of Ukrainian heritage excelling in his or her studies; the Maria and Taras Slevinsky Scholarship ($1,000) for a student studying nursing; the Philadelphia UNA District Committee’s Stefan Hawrysz Scholarship ($1,000) for a student from one of the district’s nine branches; and the Danylo Andrii Demidenko Scholarship ($500) for a student studying in the medical field.
The UNA also sponsors five UNA Heritage Scholarships of $1,000 each for undergraduate or graduate students enrolled on either a full- or part-time basis. These scholarships – which focus special attention on community involvement – were established in 2019 to coincide with the UNA’s 125th anniversary.
In addition, all student members of the UNA can receive monetary awards for their college studies. These awards are granted upon completion of the senior year of high school and during the students’ college and post-graduate years. This year’s awards once again ranged from $125 for incoming freshmen to $250 for graduate students.
The following students are recipients of special scholarships for the 2023-2024 academic year:
Galandiuk Scholarship – Mark Rokycky, UNA Branch 277, who is entering his sophomore year at the University of Connecti-cut;
Bilous Scholarship – Matthew Manas-terski, UNA Branch 120, who is entering his senior year at the University of Pittsburgh;
Jarosewycz Scholarship – Darij Kulchyc-kyj, UNA Branch 83, who is entering his senior year at Franklin & Marshall College;
Slevinsky Scholarship – Alexandra Soltys, UNA Branch 88, an incoming freshman at Stockton University;
Hawrysz Scholarship – Joseph Stefurak, UNA Branch 501, who is entering his sophomore year at Pennsylvania State University; and
Demidenko Scholarship – Natalia Skyba, Branch 399, who is entering her junior year at Dominican University.
UNA Heritage Scholarship recipients for 2023-2024 are the following:
Sophia Kowal, UNA Branch 27, a junior at Northeastern University;
Maria Kulchyckyj, UNA Branch 83, a graduate student at the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University;
Kaitlen Telepko, UNA Branch 234, a senior at Seton Hall University;
Paul Williams, UNA Branch 37, a senior at Wake Forest University; and
Adriana Zaviysky, UNA Branch 155, a junior at Rutgers School of Pharmacy.
The UNA is grateful for the continued support of all benefactors who fund scholarships for our community’s students. The UNA processes, evaluates and handles the administration of the scholarships they fund based on criteria they establish. Individuals or organizations interested in sponsoring a scholarship are advised to contact UNA President and CEO Roman B. Hirniak at the UNA Home Office, 800-253-9862, extension 3016.
In order to apply for a UNA scholarship or award, a student must have an active, premium-paying UNA insurance policy during the previous two years, with a minimum value of $5,000 (term life policies excluded). The UNA offers a variety of qualifying policies at competitive rates.
For more information about UNA insurance and endowment policies, as well as annuities, IRAs and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, readers are advised to contact their branch secretary or the UNA directly at 800-253-9862.
In the more than 129 years of its existence, the Ukrainian National Association has always supported young people in their pursuit of higher education. In fact, the first UNA scholarships were actually small stipends awarded to promising students to help them attain a better future. The formal scholarship program, established in 1964, has awarded scholarships to thousands of young men and women – a legacy of which the UNA is justifiably proud.
PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The Ukrainian National Association (UNA) has a decades-long record of assisting students in their pursuit of higher education. In keeping with that tradition, the UNA Scholarship Committee met virtually on June 24 to review all applications for scholarships and awards for the 2022-2023 academic year.
There was a total of 43 applicants from 21 different branches. Once again, the credentials of applicants were truly exceptional, with a number of students applying for more than one scholarship for which they were eligible.
The special scholarships awarded by the UNA include the following for undergraduate students: the Joseph and Dora Galandiuk Scholarship ($2,000) for students of accounting or the sciences; the Dmytro and Slava Jarosewycz Memorial Scholarship ($1,000) for students excelling in their studies; the Stefan Hawrysz Scholarship ($1,000) for students from one of the UNA Philadelphia District’s branches; the Vera Stangl Scholarship ($750) for students of journalism or nature/wildlife; the Joseph Wolk Scholarship ($750) for students of Lemko heritage; and the Ukrainian National Home Corp. of Blackstone, Mass., scholarship ($500) for students from New England branches of the UNA.
This year benefactors funded two new scholarships: the Maria and Taras Slevinsky Scholarship ($1,000) for students majoring in nursing; and the Danylo Andrii Demidenko Scholarship ($500) for students in the medical field.
The UNA is grateful for the continued support of all benefactors who fund scholarships for our community’s students.
If you or your organization is interested in sponsoring a UNA scholarship, please contact Eugene Serba of the UNA Corporate Board of Directors at 856-904-4161. The UNA will process, evaluate and handle administration of the scholarship you fund based on criteria you establish.
In addition to the aforementioned special scholarships, the UNA sponsors UNA Heritage Scholarships of $1,000 each for undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in full- or part-time programs. These scholarships – which recognize academic achievement and community involvement – were established in 2019 to coincide with the UNA’s 125th anniversary.
This year, the Heritage Scholarships were the most competitive with 30 applications for the five available scholarships.
We are pleased to announce the following recipients of special scholarships for 2022-2023:
• Galandiuk Scholarship – Kyril Yurchuk, Branch 70, The Cooper Union;
• Jarosewycz Scholarship – Paul Williams, Branch 37, Wake Forest University;
• Hawrysz Scholarship – Philip Szeremeta, Branch 173, University of Colorado, Boulder;
• Stangl Scholarship – Roman Hladio, Branch 161, Allegheny College;
• Wolk Scholarship – Alexander Swiatkiwsky, Branch 360, SUNY Buffalo;
• Blackstone Scholarship – Mark Rokycky, Branch 277, University of Connecticut;
It is notable that the 13 students who received these scholarships represent 12 different UNA branches and are pursuing studies at 13 different universities or colleges.
In addition to the special scholarships, the UNA gave out monetary awards to undergraduate students based on their year of academic study. Congratulations to all award recipients!
In order to apply for a UNA scholarship or award, a student must have a current UNA insurance policy with a minimum value of $5,000 (term policies excluded). The most common policies are Endowment at Age 18 and 20-Year Endowment. These policies are usually purchased for children by their parents, grandparents, or aunts, or uncles.
To learn more about the UNA’s scholarship program, readers may go to: https://unainc.org/benefits/scholarships/.
Notably, the UNA offers another option for funding higher education: the Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA). In a Coverdell account, $2,000 per year may be deposited into an account with tax-free growth, provided that funds are withdrawn for education at any level.
For more information about UNA insurance, endowments, ESAs, annuities and IRAs, readers are advised to contact their branch secretary or the UNA directly at 800-253-9862.
Eugene Serba, MBA, serves on the UNA Corporate Board of Directors and chairs the Scholarship Committee of the UNA.
PHILADELPHIA – The Ukrainian National Association (UNA) has a long-standing tradition of assisting students in their pursuit of higher education. Despite the continuing challenges of the coronavirus, the UNA continued that tradition in 2021. The UNA Scholarship Committee met virtually on June 22 to review all applications for scholarships and awards.
There was a total of 44 applicants from 23 different UNA branches. The number and quality of applicants this year were truly exceptional, with a number of students applying for more than one scholarship for which they were eligible.
The special scholarships awarded by the UNA include the following for undergraduate students:
– Joseph and Dora Galandiuk Scholarship ($2,000) for students in sciences or accounting
– Drs. Maria, Dmytro, and Olha Jarosewycz Scholarship ($1,000) for students excelling in their studies
– Vera Stangl Scholarship ($750) for students studying journalism or nature/ wildlife
– Joseph Wolk Scholarship ($750) for students of Lemko heritage
– Ukrainian National Home Corp. of Blackstone, Mass., Scholarships ($500 each) for students from UNA New England branches
– Stefan Hawrysz Scholarship ($750) for students from one of the UNA’s Philadelphia District branches. This scholarship was created in 2021 by the Philadelphia District of the UNA.
The Philadelphia District Committee of the Ukrainian National Association is pleased to announce the establishment of the Philadelphia District Stefan Hawrysz Scholarship in the amount of $750 per year. Students who are members of the Philadelphia District Branches (Nos. 10, 83, 153, 162, 163, 173, 362, 397 and 501) of the UNA are eligible to apply for the scholarship.
The award is named in honor of Stefan Hawrysz, a former UNA National Organizer, Auditor and Advisor who personally enrolled over 2,500 UNA members and established 16 UNA branches. Mr. Hawrysz also served as chairman of the Philadelphia District Committee of the UNA and was a Philadelphia community activist.
The Philadelphia District of the UNA continues to support local organizations, and parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles, are encouraged to enroll their children in the UNA in order to take full advantage of the various fraternal benefits offered by the organization.
Eligibility for the new scholarship includes the following criteria: 1) students must have a UNA qualifying policy; 2) students must be members of any Philadelphia District Branch; 3) students must be enrolled as a full-time student at an accredited college or university in the U.S.A. or Canada; and 4) students must submit a completed UNA scholarship application and provide a brief essay.
The UNA has a long history of supporting students in their academic studies, and the first scholarships were small stipends awarded to promising students to help them attain a better future. A formal scholarship program for student members was established in 1964. With the addition of the Philadelphia District Stefan Harwysh Scholarship, the UNA now has 11 Special Scholarships in addition to UNA Awards, which are based on the applicant’s year of study.
Readers are advised to visit the UNA’s website, www.unainc.org, to see a listing of all of the UNA scholarships and the requirements for student applications. For more information about UNA scholarships, readers may contact Maria Drich, 973-292-9800, ext. 3035.
The deadline for 2021-2022 applications on all scholarship awards is June 1, 2021. In addition to scholarships, the UNA offers a number of options for both parents and grandparents to assist with handling the cost of higher education for their children. Most popular are endowment policies that provide insurance protection and at maturity allow students to use the funds for college expenses. In addition, the UNA offers a Coverdell Education Savings Account that allows up to $2,000 per year to be placed in an account that will grow tax free. Withdrawals from the account can be made up to age 30 for a student’s qualified educational expenses.
To discuss available UNA products or options for college funding, readers may contact any of the Philadelphia District Branch Secretaries listed below.
