We are proud to offer scholarships to both graduate and undergraduate university students. The application deadline is June 1. More info can be found here: https://unainc.org/una/benefits/scholarships/#scholarships
The Ukrainian National Association has a long-standing tradition of assisting students in their pursuit of higher education. Despite the challenges of the coronavirus, the UNA continued that tradition in 2020. The UNA Scholarship Committee met on June 26 to review all applications for scholarships and awards.
There was a total of 54 applicants from 26 different UNA branches. The number and quality of applicants this year was truly exceptional, with a number of students applying for more than one scholarship for which they were eligible.
We are proud to offer scholarships to both graduate and undergraduate university students. The application deadline is June 1. Lots more info can be found here: https://unainc.org/una/benefits/scholarships/#scholarships
PARSIPPANY, N.J. – In 2019 – during its 125th jubilee year – the Ukrainian National Association established the UNA Heritage Scholarships in order to underscore the UNA’s longstanding role in the Ukrainian community.
Five scholarships were awarded by the UNA Scholarship Committee for the 2019-2020 academic year. The students chosen were recognized for their academic achievements and Ukrainian community involvement.
Both undergraduate and graduate students, enrolled full- or part-time in colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, are eligible for the new scholarships. Applicants must be UNA members for at least two years (as of the deadline for submission of applications, in this case, September 1, 2019) and must have a life insurance policy of at least $5,000 (Term Life policies are excluded).
The announcement of this new fraternal benefit appeared in the UNA’s recent summertime mailing to all its members, and applications were available by calling the UNA Home Office or visiting the UNA website.
The UNA Scholarship Committee announced the following as recipients of the 2019 UNA Heritage Scholarships.
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.
Earlier this year, the UNA announced the recipients of its regular scholarships and student awards for 2019-2020. Special sections featuring the students recognized by the UNA’s scholarship program appeared in September in both The Ukrainian Weekly and Svoboda.
More information about UNA Heritage Scholarships may be obtained by calling the UNA’s Fraternal Department at 800-253-9862, ext. 3035. Updated information for the 2020-2021 academic year will appear in the “Our Benefits” section of the UNA website at unainc.org.
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.
The highest award – the Joseph and Dora Galaniuk Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 – was awarded to Nataliya Savchuk, a member of UNA Branch 59, who is an honors student pursuing a degree in kinesiology at Temple University.
Nataliya arrived in the United States with her mother when she was an 11-month old child. She has traveled often since her arrival in Stamford, Conn., to Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, where her family is from. This ability to travel maintained the link to her homeland, her native Ukrainian language and culture. Nataliya’s passion since third grade has been ballet, and she dreamed of ballet in her future. But, as she wrote in her letter, life does not unfold as we would like. She had to cut her training after suffering an injury. But she overcame the fact that she could not achieve her dreams and she was able to transform her disappointment into help for other dancers through physical therapy. Nataliya began yoga and found an interest to pursue studies in biology and anatomy. She is currently studying kinesiology, which focuses on the mechanics of the movements of the body. She hopes to eventually defend her doctoral thesis in physical therapy. She realizes, at age 19, that life gives many opportunities and it is important to progress toward one’s goals.
The Drs. Maria, Dmytro and Olha Jarosewycz Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000, was awarded to Alexander Lischak, a member of UNA Branch 15, who is an honors student studying English at Youngstown State University.
Alexander was born in Lviv, and along with his twin brother lived in a children’s home until the age of 18 months, when he was adopted by a loving Ukrainian American family. From his perspective, he feels blessed by God with his good fortune. Since childhood he has been an altar server at St. Anne Ukrainian Catholic Church, performed with Ukrainian dance groups, sang in a youth choir and worked as a counselor at children’s summer camps. This past summer, he traveled for three weeks in Ukraine to teach English to Ukrainian children.
Active in his community and successful in his studies, Alexander doesn’t seem to rest on his laurels. After earning a degree to become a high school English-language teacher, he dreams of joining the Peace Corps and working for two years in Ukraine. He says two countries – the U.S. and Ukraine – will always remain in his heart.
The Joseph Wolk Scholarship, in the amount of $750, was awarded to Natalie Ginn, a member of UNA Branch 247 and an honors student studying neuroscience at the University of Delaware.
Natalie was raised in a Lemko family, where holidays were a time to honor Ukrainian traditions. Since birth, she has had a love for Ukrainian language, embroidery, Ukrainian music and dance, Ukrainian national holidays and cuisine. Natalie is steadfast on course toward her goals and is proud to be Ukrainian.
The Blackstone Scholarship, founded by the Ukrainian National Home Corp. in Blackstone, Mass., in the amount of $500 each, was awarded to Christina Gluch, a member of UNA Branch 277 and an honors student at Seton Hall University; Maria Kulchyckyj, a member of UNA Branch 83 and an honors student at Brandeis University; and Jonathan Platosz, a member of UNA Branch 254 and an honors student at the University of Rhode Island.
The remaining 36 students were awarded standard scholarships, with sums based on their year of study. These scholarships were distributed as follows: 11 freshman-year students were awarded $125; seven sophomore students were awarded $150; 10 junior-year students were awarded $175; and eight seniors were awarded $200 each.
The Ukrainian National Association congratulates all of the scholarship winners for academic year 2017-2018. The UNA wishes them all success in the future.
The UNA encourages students to continue their active membership by subscribing to our publications, Svoboda and The Ukrainian Weekly and by having your family members sign up for membership. As members of the UNA, you have an opportunity to take advantage of all the fraternal benefits and privileges that the UNA offers and to take up your role in the preservation of Ukrainian culture and heritage.
More information about the UNA scholarships can be obtained via the website www.ukrainiannationalassociation.org or via telephone, 800-253-9862 ext. 3011.
(Translated by Matthew Dubas)
