William Penn Life, 2009 (44. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2009-08-01 / 8. szám
"If not for these scholarship grants, the financial constraints of education could turn aspirations of a college degree into a fleeting impossible dream." The true value of a WPA scholarship grant We present here the text of a speech by Richard J. Toth, a member of Branch 89 Homestead, Pa., delivered during the annual meeting of the William Penn Fraternal Association Scholarship Foundation held July 17 at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott by Richard J. Toth I'd just like to start off by saying thank you for allowing me to speak at this wonderful event. The WPA truly knows how to treat its members well. This, of course, includes members young and old. Having grown up attending WPA events, I can speak up for the youth benefits, but I've since grown older and have come to see how fraternalism bridges the gap between young and old as children take on the ever-increasing responsibilities of becoming young adults. Today, I represent one of the numerous students that have benefited from the WPA's Scholarship Foundation. While I can't speak for everyone, I'm sure all are appreciative of the generous contributions given to them by the WPA. For some, the money helps to cover the cost of books. For others like myself, the money helps alleviate burdens from high tuition. The WPA's Scholarship Foundation is an opportunity for all students in pursuit of higher education. If not for these scholarship grants, the financial constraints of education could turn aspirations of a college degree into a fleeting impossible dream. The scholarship grants help open up a window of opportunity both in the present and future. The money obviously eases financial tensions both now and later after loans are repaid. But I believe the WPA saw even more to it than that. They wanted their members to mature and develop their career paths so that this generation's bright minds are able to grow into the leaders of the future. The WPA wants their members to succeed in life. Success in itself is a difficult term to define because it varies from person to person in terms of the goals set. A college degree can certainly help a student accomplish career goals. For instance, a scholarship recipient may follow their major right into a pre-specified and related career choice while others may find the degree leads to an unrelated, yet at the same time, still successful career. Due to the current economic condition of our nation, more and more students are using their bachelor's degrees as stepping stones to further their schooling and earn higher degrees, which allow for further job possibilities. This fall, I will start my senior year at Grove City College majoring in molecular biology. My goal is to one day pursue a career as a doctor. Medical school loans will likely keep me in debt for a good number of years. However, I will have the WPA to thank for helping to subsidize some of my previous schooling costs and keep me from even more debt. In my case, the WPA scholarship will have helped me obtain a bachelor's degree, decreased my undergraduate costs, and allowed me to pursue higher education. For these reasons, and on behalf of the many other grant recipients, I offer my sincerest thanks and hope the Scholarship Foundation will continue to give students such a wonderful opportunity at success. Thank you. [m] William Penn Life, August 2009 3
