One top scholar each year is awarded a four-year Presidential Scholarship. This award was started by the National MS Society’s 2005–2011 president and CEO, Joyce Nelson.
Caterina Fedyk—National MS Society Presidential Scholar
Funding provided by the Gateway Area Chapter
Gateway Area Chapter
Mother Living with MS
Compassion is Her Middle Name
This young woman has spent her high school career confronting social injustice wherever she sees it. In her senior year, she was awarded the Martin Luther King Award which recognizes community service of the highest degree. When not pursuing high academic achievement, Caterina has spent her time working in homeless shelters, the angel outreach program, the local food pantry and other service-oriented social action programs. She would like to become a photojournalist in order “to raise awareness of the needs of others.” She credits her mother for giving her a sense of independence and confidence and for being “comfortable in my own skin.” Although significantly disabled with MS, her mom manages to be present at every major milestone of Caterina’s life, showing her daughter how to overcome major obstacles in life!
Each year a four-year scholarship is awarded to a top scholar in honor of the Society’s 1992–2004 president and CEO, General Mike Dugan, USAF, retired.
Sandra Paola Medrano—National MS Society Mike Dugan Scholar
Funding provided by the Connecticut Chapter and the Modestus Bauer Foundation
Connecticut Chapter
Mother Living with MS
The Unbreakables
Paola is a part of a mighty trio of strong women composed of her mother, older sister and her. They have banded together over the years to help contain the effects of MS and to bring them closer together as a family. She puts it well: “MS has not defeated us. We remain unbroken.” This young woman has demonstrated incredible inner strength and compassion for others in her volunteer activities; a superlative record of academic and leadership abilities as demonstrated as an AP Scholar (4.0 scores in Calculus, English and Spanish), Honor Roll and National Honor Society participant, and student government officer. Faith and Service are her elemental core values which will serve her well when she studies biology and other sciences with the hope of entering the medical field in the future. Read more about Paola in our Online Community.
Taylor Aldridge
Funding provided by the South Central Chapter
South Central Chapter
Mother Lived with MS
The Beginning, Not an Ending
Taylor will study biology and neurosciences at the University of Minnesota as a prelude to entering medical school and a career in research. She is a determined young woman whose goals are focused and clear. She has spent her young life surrounded by MS, a disease that severely affected her mother who recently passed away. This experience has made her all the more committed to becoming a member of the research community, thus helping to be part of the solution to the mysteries of MS. She puts it well: “I believe everything happens for a reason and that my mother’s story is not her ending, but rather my beginning.” She has set lofty goals for herself. She is the kind of person who surely will succeed.
Jessica Blosberg
Funding provided by the Upper Midwest Chapter
Upper Midwest Chapter
Father and Sister Living with MS
Family Matters
Scholar, athlete, role model, community activist, Jessica is all of these things and more. She is intimately involved with the National MS Society along with her whole family because her dad and sister both live with the disease. She has worked countless hours on the Walk MS and Bike MS Tours and is the winner of the prestigious Youth Volunteer All Star Award. She says it has been a blessing for her family to volunteer together and that the “MS Society has been such an important part of my life for so many years.” Her close knit family is behind her all the way as she leaves to study animal sciences at the University of Minnesota in the fall. She strives for excellence in all her endeavors with a supportive family always behind her.
Kooper Dessecker
Funding provided by the Ohio Buckeye Chapter and Developers Diversified Realty
Ohio Buckeye Chapter
Mother Living with MS
Renaissance Man
Pursuit of academic excellence is the first thing to say about Kooper. But what it doesn’t say is how many other challenges he needed to overcome to get there, which makes it all the more remarkable. Kooper is essentially the chief support for his mother who is now in a nursing home due to MS. He visits her nearly every day in between maintaining a 4.0 GPA, taking post-secondary courses at Kent State University, playing two varsity sports, a team captain in both, and volunteering as a math tutor to younger students during their football and basketball camps. Most of all, Kooper demonstrates inner strength of character overcoming the personal, financial and emotional challenges of living in a family with MS. He will study engineering at Ohio State because he wants to help rebuild many of our failing infrastructures – bridges, roads, buildings. A lucky city is one that gets him as their engineer!
Autumn Howell
Funding provided by the South Central Chapter
South Central Chapter
Mother Living with MS
Beating the Disease
She was so busy balancing her school work activities, while at the same time caring for her mother, that Autumn never realized that she would graduate fifth in her high school class of 401, putting her academically in the top 1%! She was delighted to say that she felt despite all the hardships “I beat the disease.” It’s been a tough road since her mom’s MS has progressed, but she and her father and siblings have soldiered on feeling closer than ever as a family unit. Autumn would like to study physical therapy in college to help impact other people’s lives in a field in which she can relate so well. Since she already had a good idea what “real life” is all about, she now says she truly knows what is important to her. She credits her “mom and the long journey and experiences that came with my upbringing that have brought me here.”
Ezra Enoka Kawika
Funding provided by the Hawaii Chapter and Teva Neuroscience
Hawaii Chapter
Mother Living with MS
Dedication to Excellence
Enoka is a gifted student who is always head of the class in all his academic pursuits. Whether it is in the classroom, on the debate team, or in a math competition, he brings honor to his school and to himself. He meets his personal obligations in the same way, providing support to his family, especially his mom who lives with MS. When his father passed away, Enoka became head of the family especially in terms of the care of his mom. He says it well: “Our relationship is not simply filled with love, but also with reliance and trust.” Family is very important to him. He honors his mother when he says, “everything that I consider most important to me I learned from her.” He is on his way to the University of Pennsylvania to study business as a scholar and as a proud son.
Mara Klecker
Funding provided by the Upper Midwest Chapter
Upper Midwest Chapter
Mother Living with MS
Not Afraid of Monsters
Mara addresses MS, the disease that affects her mom, and by extension, her whole family, in her personal essay, I Am Not Afraid of Monsters as follows: “You have forced me into roles that have helped me grow. Your thievery has caused me to hold onto my own strength. You have tried to limit me. But you have failed.” If you guessed that Mara aims to be a writer, you are spot on! Her ability to “tell people’s stories” is remarkable, often poignant, always compellingly, honest and caring. She is on her way to the University of Nebraska to become a journalist to tell the stories, especially her own of growing up with a mom whose motto is “Grace and Gusto” and who encouraged her daughter to stand and be counted, never resentful, often empathetic, always the truth-seeker.
Cari Logston
Funding provided by the Leonard J. and Martha J. Brutocao Family Scholarship and Teva Neuroscience
Southern California & Nevada Chapter
Mother Living with MS
Grace Under Pressure
Cari stands out as a highly talented student with multiple honors and AP courses. She has decided to major in communications and graphic design at nearby Master’s College in Santa Clarita. She will stay close to home so she can continue to care for her mother who is severely affected by MS and who is also deaf. Together with her father and brother, they have a tight familial bond committed to safety, security and most of all love. Cari philosophically muses that if she did not have these family responsibilities, she would probably be lazy and not take much responsibility in life. Her actions speak much louder that her words. She also says she has “learned the true meaning of patience, diligence, sacrifice and true love.”
Christina Marshall
Funding provided by the Greater Northwest Chapter
Greater Northwest Chapter
Mother Living with MS
Dreams from my Mother
Christina had just finished high school when her mom’s strange symptoms turned out to be MS. Putting her own dreams of attending college on hold, she became the prime caregiver to her mom, helping to cook meals, do other household chores and even devising word games to help with memory loss. She also took on the role of mother for her younger brother. Trying to work full-time to bring much needed family income, Christina found it difficult to hold down a job and be a full-time caregiver. As her mother’s condition improved, partly due to intense rehabilitation, Christina began to hope again of becoming the veterinary technician she yearned to be. She will enter Pierce College this fall to study in this field thanks to her mother’s and her own spirit of independence and ‘can do’ attitude. She says her mom “gave me my life back.”
Reyne Mullins
Funding provided by the Bell Family MS Scholarship
Wisconsin Chapter
Person Living with MS
Pushing the Boundaries
Even before he learned he had MS, Reyne always looked beyond his own comfort zone in all his endeavors – academics, sports, learning new languages and cultures – pushing the boundaries. As a student, he is motivated by ideas, complex ones like learning about Platonic theory for example. When studying the Japanese language, he viewed it not as a subject to study but as a tool to enhance his personal development. After learning about Japanese culture, he hosted two students from that country and made a two-week trip there as well. In sports, he maintains the same high personal standards especially on the crew team and in Kung Fu. He will enter Earlham College this fall to study psychology. Wherever life takes this young man, he will always do his personal best and will certainly make a difference for himself and others.
Jacqueline Schneider
Funding provided by Teva Neuroscience
Mid Florida Chapter
Mother Living with MS
A Fine Intellect... A Finer Character
Jacqueline can truly be classified as a Renaissance woman! First, she is an accomplished student having taken AP courses in calculus, computer science, physics, statistics, English, chemistry and biology. She is a National Merit Scholar, National AP Scholar, AP Scholar of Distinction and member of the Math Honor Society. Next, she ran varsity track and field, was a cheerleader for two years and was part of the Business Professionals and America. She even found time to do much community service. Her essay on MS, tells of her quest for a second-hand wheelchair for her mom, one that was compact enough to fit in her own car trunk and with the right maneuverability. Jacqueline will use her brain power to study neural engineering, which combines her interests in computer sciences, biology and electrical engineering. She says she is called to this field because of her mother’s MS and her grandfather’s Alzheimer’s disease. Success awaits her.
Apurva Shah
Funding provided by the Maryland Chapter and Teva Neuroscience
Maryland Chapter
Mother Living with MS
Science and Math Whiz
Apurva is well on his way to making a difference in the field of biomedical engineering. He will enter University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the fall to study in this field, but he has already shown his acumen in both science and math. He served as a science and engineering apprentice in an 8-week internship with the U.S. Department of the Army where he worked in a physics lab contributing to research that will impact the development of military armor. He is especially interested in helping with the design of new technology to help those like his mother who need equipment to help them lead more productive lives. He is also a well-rounded individual who excels in tennis and track and field, and served on the Debate Team. He also managed to do a number of volunteer hours for both the Cancer and Multiple Sclerosis Societies.
Harry Michael Wagenheim
Funding provided by the Greater Delaware Chapter and Teva Neuroscience
Greater Delaware Chapter
Mother Living with MS
Start the Music
Music consumes Mike's life and will soon become his career. He is a percussion enthusiast and has played in band, orchestra and jazz bands at his school. A great musician, he has played in community “gigs” outside of school to the tune of 75 concerts in 10 states on the East Coast. He has also demonstrated leadership abilities with his peers and chairs the Walk MS team and other fundraisers. It is music, however, that is his solace and how he copes with his mother’s severe MS and his father’s drug addiction. He will attend Northeastern University to major in music production and technology with a concentration on jazz percussion. This talented musician will have no difficulty finding his way in the music world.
Leah Wilson
Funding provided by the Ohio Buckeye Chapter and Teva Neuroscience
Ohio Buckeye Chapter
Mother Living with MS
100% Heart
Top student and class leader, Leah has taken many AP classes, is a member of the National Honor Society, has been student council president, joined marching band and the tennis team and on and on. But it is her energy and passionate nature that truly defines her. Living with a mom with MS has taught her to be independent and to strive to help others. That’s why she will enter Kent State University to study nursing this fall. She is especially interested in midwifery and someday owning her own birthing center. With a background of honors and a history of giving to others, she will surely succeed in this endeavor.
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