PARSIPPANY, N.J. – This year, the Ukrainian National Association celebrates the 125th anniversary of its founding on February 22, 1894, in the small town of Shamokin, Pa., where 10 brotherhood organizations united to form a new united organization – the Ukrainian National Association. Following this unification, the UNA began to expand and grow, and today the UNA is one of the oldest and most supportive Ukrainian organizations in North America.
Ensuring the growth of the fraternal association, the UNA never withheld its financial support of worthwhile community goals – having been and continuing to being an organizer and sponsor of numerous cultural, educational, sports/health and religious programs. Since its founding, the UNA has donated more than $2 million for the education of Ukrainian youth.
This year, the UNA Scholarship Committee has designated scholarships and awards to 44 UNA members – students attending universities in the U.S. and Canada. The total dollar amount of scholarships was $11,200, of which $5,000 was awarded for special scholarships. The UNA Scholarship Committee reviews the special scholarship applications, which are graded based on academic performance, field of study, financial need of the student and the applicant’s active involvement in the Ukrainian community.
The Joseph and Dora Galadiuk Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $2,000 was awarded to Christina Gluch (Branch 277). Ms. Gluch is an honor student studying biology at Seton Hall University. She was born and grew up in an active Ukrainian family, with much of her life intertwined with Ukrainian diaspora culture and heritage. Since the age of four, she has been a member of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization, having participated in various camps and completed all of the associated ranks from youth scout to camp leader. Ms. Gluch completed her Ukrainian language education and enjoys speaking Ukrainian. In the future, she hopes to work in the medical field as an optometrist.
The Drs. Maria, Dmytro and Olha Jarosewycz Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 was awarded to Maria Bandriwsky (Branch 360). Ms. Bandriwsky is an honor student studying psychology at Loyola University. She is a graduate of the Vasyl Stus School of Ukrainian Studies, and she considers Ukrainian as her native language, which she speaks with her family. She is a longtime member of the Ukrainian American Youth Association, and is a member of the UAYA national board. The previous summer, Ms. Bandriwsky participated in a camp for displaced children and orphaned children (whose parents had died in the war in the Donbas) in Ukraine. For more than 10 years, she has performed with the Hromovytsia Ukrainian Dance Ensemble. She hopes to one day become a doctor of psychology.
The Joseph Wolk Scholarship in the amount of $750 was awarded to Daria Hrynewycz (Branch 777). A graduate of St. Ignatius College Prep., Ms. Hrynewycz has been accepted to Loyola University. In her application, she recounted her experience in Ukraine in the village of Brukhovych in Lviv Oblast, where she taught English at an English-language summer school course for students of the Ukrainian Catholic University. From her experiences in Ukraine, she highlighted her Ukrainian patriotism and how dear all things Ukrainian are to her.
The Vera Stangl Scholarship in the amount of $750 was awarded to Gunnar Sadowey (Branch 25). He is an honor student in journalism at Samford University, where he has engaged himself in student life. He writes articles for the university newspaper “The Crimson,” and was selected for the London Core Texts summer study abroad program (one of 19 students selected). Mr. Sadowey is proud of his Ukrainian heritage and culture.
The Ukrainian National Home Corp. of Blackstone, Massachusetts, Scholarship in the amount of $500 was awarded to Nataliya Savchuk (Branch 59). A graduate student at Temple University, studying kinesiology, Ms. Savchuk is passionate in learning about the workings of human body mechanics in motion and she is convinced that in life people need to work toward moving forward and striving to achieve all of life’s possibilities. Ms. Savchuk dreams of one day becoming a doctor of physical therapy.
The regular scholarship awards were distributed to 39 UNA student members, based on year of study. Eleven freshmen received $125 each, 11 sophomores $150 each, nine juniors received $175 each and eight seniors (or those in their final year of study) received $200 each.
The Ukrainian National Association congratulates all of this year’s scholarship recipients and wishes them a strong Ukrainian spirit and many continued successes on life’s journey.
The UNA reminds all the scholarship recipients to continue their active membership, by subscribing to its publications – Svoboda and The Ukrainian Weekly – and to regularly visit the Soyuzivka Heritage Center, as well as signing up your family and friends to become members of the UNA.
As the future leaders of the UNA, you have an opportunity to take advantage of all the fraternal benefits that membership in the UNA offers and with your participation to give back in the preservation of Ukrainian culture and heritage.
Additional information and UNA scholarship applications can be found on the UNA’s website, www.unainc.org or telephone, 800-253-9862 ext. 3035.
$200 SENIORS
$175 JUNIORS
$150 SOPHOMORES
$125 FRESHMEN