PITTSBURGH – The Ukrainian Technological Society (UTS) of Pittsburgh presented its 2019 scholarship awards to 16 undergraduate and graduate students from Western Pennsylvania and Ohio in ceremonies at the Henry Clay Frick Fine Arts Building on the University of Pittsburgh campus on Sunday, July 28.
The UTS is now in its 50th year and is one of the longest running Ukrainian organizations in the tri-state area. This year marks the 47th year of the UTS Scholarship Program. With this year’s awards, the society has made 485 awards totaling $232,200 to 298 different students.
Students, family members, UTS members and guests were welcomed to the awards ceremony by UTS Executive Board President, George Honchar. He acknowledged the many donors who have generously offered their financial support to the scholarship program, which has helped students pursue higher education in a variety of fields. He also acknowledged the friends and family – especially parents – who supported all the scholarship recipients in their academic pursuits.
The featured speaker for the award ceremony was Dr. Victor Onufrey, radiation oncologist with the Butler Health System in Butler, Pa. Dr. Onufrey served in the U.S. Air Force as a radiation oncologist and, later, as a flight surgeon. He participated in deployments for Bosnia, Southern Watch over Iraq/Kuwait and Iraqi Freedom. Additionally, Dr. Onufrey was involved in humanitarian missions to Peru, Panama and Ukraine.
Dr. Onufrey’s talk, titled “A Glimpse of the Future Through the Mirror of the Past,” was informed by his own life story. He shared his experiences as an American-born child of Ukrainian immigrant parents who insisted that he attend Ukrainian school on Saturdays – something he came to appreciate more and more as he grew older. This background also played a role later when he was selecting a college and a career that would satisfy him both professionally and personally. This would include a 40-year stint with the U.S. Air Force.
The backdrop to his own life were the concerns of his generation – overpopulation, artificial intelligence running amok and the Cold War, with the threat of a “nuclear winter.” Despite these looming threats, Dr. Onufrey persevered and pursued his dreams.
He shared that one of his most memorable experiences was in 1998 when he was asked to accompany a medical unit from the California Air National Guard as a translator to Lviv. He said the thought of being deployed on an official U.S. mission to an independent Ukraine was unimaginable just 10 years earlier.
Dr. Onufrey concluded this talk with these words: “Don’t allow the ‘fear of the day’ to dictate your future or your choices. After all, the world did not become overpopulated and the nuclear holocaust never happened. Problems eventually get worked out and all wars eventually end. New inventions and discoveries will allow us to adapt to a changing world. Stop worrying about the zombie apocalypse. The chances are quite good that the future will ultimately be better than the past and some of your impossible dreams may just come true. Keep working hard, give back when you can, and look for opportunities that will enrich not only your wallet, but your soul. Don’t try to predict the future, but be ready to take any opportunity that it may bring.”
Following the presentation, President Honchar and UTS Executive Board Treasurer Nickolas C. Kotow, awarded the 16 scholarships totaling $10,000.
The Maria Hulai Lion Foundation Scholarships, awarded to students who demonstrated outstanding academic performance, and made possible through a grant from the Maria Hulai Lion Foundation of Howard Beach, N.Y., were awarded to Yaryna Korenovska and Maria Smereka, both of Carnegie, Pa.
The Michael Korchynsky Memorial Scholarship, awarded to a student pursuing engineering with outstanding academic achievement and participation in Ukrainian community activities, was awarded to Nikolai Goebel of Sewickley, Pa.
The Ukrainian Selfreliance of Western Pennsylvania Federal Credit Union Members’ Funded Scholarship, awarded to a member with outstanding academic achievement, was awarded to Michael Kochis of Coraopolis, Pa.
The Chester and Olga Manasterski Memorial Scholarship, awarded to a student with outstanding academic achievement and service to the Ukrainian community and underwritten by sons Myron and Gregory Manasterski, was awarded to Marissa Yourstowsky of Canfield, Ohio.
The Ukrainian Selfreliance of Western Pennsylvania FCU Scholarship, awarded to a member who has shown excellence in both academic studies and community involvement, was awarded to Monika Karpa of Carnegie.
The Michael and Anna Komichak Memorial Scholarship, underwritten by Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Komichak and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Komichak, was awarded to Katarzyna Goebel of Sewickley.
The Ukrainian Cultural Trust Choir of Western Pennsylvania Scholarship, underwritten by the Choir, was awarded to Alexander Konecky of Pittsburgh.
The Kateryna Dowbenko Ukrainian Language Scholarship was awarded to John Nasevich of Pittsburgh.
Ukrainian Technological Society Scholarships were awarded to Andrianna Cycak of Moon Township, Pa.; Kateryna Czuczman of Pittsburgh; Stanislav Davyda of Pittsburgh; Irina Lutsiv of Carnegie; Marika Olijar of Narbeth, Pa.; Dmytri Rakovan of Baden, Pa., and Cyril Sheptak of Butler.
A social hour held in the atrium followed the program.
To learn more about the UTS, its scholarship program and other activities, readers may visit the website at www.utspgh.org or “friend” them on FaceBook at “Ukrainian Technological Society (UTS) of Pittsburgh.”
Donations toward the 2020 Scholarship Program are now being accepted. Donations are tax-deductible, as provided by law, as the UTS has Internal Revenue Code 501 (c) (3) designation. Donations or inquiries may be sent to the UTS at P.O. Box 4277, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. Donations can also be made securely via PayPal by visiting the UTS website and clicking on the “Support” page. Readers may contact the UTS by e-mail at [email protected].