Readers of this newspaper and our sister publication, the Ukrainian-language weekly Svoboda – both published by the Ukrainian National Association as a meaningful and consequential service to our community – saw that last week’s issues featured a two-page section on the UNA’s scholarship winners for academic year 2020-2021. We congratulate them all, wish them much success in their studies, and hereby express our hope that they will not only continue to be active in our Ukrainian community but become contributors to our community’s progress in the future.
As pointed out by the chairman of the UNA Scholarship Committee, Eugene Serba, who is the UNA’s second vice-president, “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.” Notably, the number of applicants had increased from recent years.
Perhaps some readers do not realize this, but all student members of the UNA are eligible to receive scholarships or monetary awards to help them further their studies. (To learn more about the UNA’s scholarship program, including details about eligibility, readers may go to https://unainc.org/una/benefits/scholarships/.)
Most sought are the special scholarships funded by generous and altruistic benefactors who have entrusted the UNA with the task of selecting the candidates for their scholarships based on criteria that the donor and the UNA establish together. These special scholarships are for full-time undergraduate students, and range in amounts from $500 to $2,000. (Persons or organizations interested in sponsoring a special scholarship are advised to contact Mr. Serba at 856-904-4161 or leave a message at the UNA Home Office number, 800-253-9862 x3085.)
New to the scholarship program are the UNA Heritage Scholarships, first awarded in 2019, during the Ukrainian National Association’s 125th anniversary year to underscore the UNA’s leading role in our Ukrainian community. These $1,000 scholarships are for undergraduate and graduate students alike, and are available to those studying part-time (as in often the case in grad school). They are specifically intended to recognize students for their admirable community work, in addition to their academic achievements.
All student members of the UNA can receive monetary awards based on their year of college/university studies. Thus, this year’s awards ranged from $125 for freshmen to $200 for seniors.
In the more than 126 years of its existence, the Ukrainian National Association (UNA) 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. A formal scholarship program was established in 1964. Since then it has awarded well over $2 million in scholarships to several thousand young men and women – a legacy of which the UNA is justifiably proud.
The UNA’s scholarships are a noteworthy benefit of membership in this unique and uncommonly benevolent fraternal society, and a concrete example of the UNA’s commitment to our younger generations. They are yet another reason that it’s a good idea to be or to become a member of the Ukrainian National Association.