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MY NAME IS MICHAEL DVORCHAK. I AM A SOPHOMORE COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS
MAJOR AND PROUD RECIPIENT OF THE COLUMBIA GAS OF PENNSYLVANIA STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND
AND THE EBERLY FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP.
MY MOTHER DIED WHEN I WAS TWELVE YEARS OLD,
SO MY FATHER, MIKE, WORKED EXTRA SHIFTS IN THE MAPLE CREEK MINE TO SUPPORT
ME AND MY OLDER BROTHER, JOSH, WHO NEEDED HELP WITH HIS COLLEGE EXPENSES.
WHEN THE MINE CLOSED, MY FATHER WAS FORCED TO TAKE
AN EARLY RETIREMENT, AND I BEGAN TO WONDER HOW I WOULD AFFORD A COLLEGE DEGREE.
BECAUSE OF THE COLUMBIA GAS AND EBERLY SCHOLARSHIPS, I AM ABLE TO FOCUS ON MY
STUDIES AT CAL U.
MY DAD HAS ALWAYS GUIDED ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF A
GOOD EDUCATION, AND MY BROTHER HAS BEEN A GREAT ROLE MODEL AND MENTOR AS I PURSUE A CAREER
IN COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS. I WOULD NOT BE WHERE I AM TODAY WITHOUT THEIR
SUPPORT, AND I WOULD NOT BE WHERE I AM TODAY WITHOUT THE SUPPORT FROM THE COLUMBIA GAS
AND EBERLY SCHOLARSHIPS. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK BOTH ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR KIND GENEROSITY.
YOU ARE HELPING TO MAKE BRIGHT FUTURES FOR ALL OF US.
ONE DAY I WOULD LIKE TO
BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO ANOTHER STUDENT WHO HAS LOST A PARENT AND NEEDS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
TO ATTEND COLLEGE. THANK YOU.
IN MAY, 2009, I ACCOMPLISHED A DREAM THAT AS A SINGLE MOM
I THOUGHT WOULD NEVER COME TRUE: I EARNED MY BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN BIOLOGY FROM
CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. MY STORY BEGINS WITH MY THREE WONDERFUL
CHILDREN: JONATHAN, MARY, AND DEVON, WHO ARRIVED BEFORE
MY COLLEGE CAREER. THEY ARE MY JOY AND INSPIRATION. THEY ARE EVERYTHING TO ME.
STEPPING BACK THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO, I FOUND MYSELF WORKING AT A
JOB THAT WAS GRATIFYING, BUT DIDN'T PRESENT ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVANCEMENT.
I DECIDED THAT I NEEDED TO MOVE IN A NEW DIRECTION AND EARN MY BACHELOR'S DEGREE.
DURING MY FIRST SEMESTER, I QUICKLY REALIZED THERE WASN'T ENOUGH OF ME
TO GO AROUND. WORKING FULL TIME, GOING TO SCHOOL, AND DOING EVERYTHING
A MOM DOES WAS TAKING ITS TOLL ON ME. SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE.
IN 2007, EVERYTHING CHANGED. THAT IS WHEN I LEARNED THAT I
WAS THE RECIPIENT OF THE LAVERNE BAZILWICH RICHEY SCHOLARSHIP. MY PRAYERS
WERE ANSWERED BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO FOCUS ON BEING A STUDENT AND A MOM.
I WAS ABLE TO WALK AWAY FROM THAT DEAD END JOB AND GIVE MY STUDIES AND MY CHILDREN THE ATTENTION
THAT THEY DESERVED. AS A CAL U ALUMNA, I HAVE NEVER
SEEN MY FUTURE SO OPEN WITH SO MANY POSSIBILITIES. AS I PREPARE TO STEP
BACK INTO THE WORKFORCE, I THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY DREAMS BECOME A REALITY.
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