CHICAGO – The UMANA Foundation and its Dr. Walter and Olha Prokopiw Scholarship Fund has awarded five scholarships for the 2015-2016 academic year.
The foundation, the non-profit educational arm of the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA), aims to encourage and support students who have chosen a profession in the healing arts. In the last eight years the UMANA Foundation has awarded 39 scholarships to deserving medical and dental students who are studying in the United States and Canada.
Each $3,000 scholarship will assist in defraying some of the expenses of medical or dental school tuition. The current cost of a four-year medical education is approximately $155,000. As a result, more than 85 percent of students
Stephanie Hanchuk, class of 2019, Icahn School of Medicine.
graduate with large debts at the end of their education. The interest rates on these student loans, as well as additional undergraduate debt, place a substantial burden on these students.
The foundation continues to assist students of Ukrainian descent who show promise and commitment in their health care careers. It was encouraging to see several former scholarship recipients among the many students and residents attending and participating in the recent UMANA Scientific Conference in Mont Tremblant, Quebec.
The following are recipients of the 2015-2016 scholarships.
Tetyana Khrabatyn, class of 2017, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.
• Solomiya Gruschak is a second-year medical student at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine outside of Chicago. This spring, Ms. Gruschak organized a lecture at her school about the status of health care in Ukraine. She also raised thousands of dollars with which she purchased and donated supplies to the Lviv Military Hospital. She also volunteered at the hospital during her vacation. She continues to support the UMANA Illinois Debutante Ball, which is the major fund-raiser for the UMANA Foundation.
• Stephanie Hanchuk will start her medical studies at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. She volunteers to help and mentor children with disabilities. Ms.
Hanchuk is doing research in the field of multiple sclerosis. She spends her summers at Soyuzivka and is involved in Ukrainian cultural events.
Alexandra Kwit, class of 2019, Toledo School of Medicine.
• Tetyana Khrabatyn is in her third year of dental school at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine in New Jersey. She emigrated from Ukraine in 2008. In addition to presenting a well-received poster presentation on cancer markers found in saliva, Ms. Khrabatyn recently returned from a medical/dental mission to Costa Rica.
• Alexandra Kwit will begin her medical studies at the Toledo School of Medicine in Ohio this fall. She is an active participant in Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization’s Cleveland branch over the last 10 years as a counselor and medical assistant. Ms. Kwit
also enjoys performing in a choir.
Nazary Nebeluk, class of 2019, Louisiana University State School of Medicine.
• Nazary Nebeluk will begin his medical studies at Louisiana State School of Medicine. He is enrolled in the M.D./Ph.D. program. Mr. Nebeluk emigrated from Ukraine at age 6. He has been very active in Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization as a counselor over the last five years. His interest in infectious disease has inspired him to teach camp participants about tick bites and Lyme disease.
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Donations to the UMANA Foundation help to expand the pool of scholarships for any qualified student of Ukrainian heritage in North America. To support or donate to the UMANA foundation visit www.umana.org or call 773-278-6262.