2009 FAWCO Foundation Education Awards Recipients

The FAWCO Foundation announced the recipients of the 2009 Education Awards at the FAWCO Conference in Vilnius, Lithuania. FAWCO clubs nominated many bright individuals, of which 7 were chosen. Listed below are the recipients of The 2009 FAWCO Foundation Education Awards.

	ARTS AWARD - In Memory of Elaine Senigallia $5000 This award is for study in the performing (dance, voice, instrumental, etc.) and visual (painting, sculpture, etc.) arts. Both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible.   Drew Zaremba, his mother is a member of AWC Brussels Editor-in-Chief of his High School newspaper, member of the Model United Nations, Eagle Scout, rock climber and excellent student, this young man has studied classical piano since age 6, and classical and jazz saxophone since age 10.  His instructor describes him as “the most talented and determined student” she has encountered in her 25 years as a university and private instructor.  He is also the leader of his own jazz group and his goal is to study in the U.S. for a career in the music industry.
	SCIENCES AWARD  in memory of Frieda Bacigalupo Natali - sponsored in part by AIWC Genoa $5000 This award is for the study of scientific subjects (i.e. biology, chemistry, etc.), mathematics, medicine, engineering, environmental studies, computer science, etc. Both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible. Mary Elizabeth "Mimi" Myrick,  her mother is a member of AWC Basel From the age of 6, she has known that she wanted to be a doctor.  Now in her 4th year of a six-year academic course that will be followed by a minimum further six years of residency, she is even more passionate about her career choice. Despite supporting herself with several part time jobs, she participates in the English Choir and maintains excellent grades.  She is said by a member of the faculty to possess an unusual combination of intelligence, determination, responsibility, personal grace, common sense and the essential quality of a truly great physician: a fascination with the human condition.
	HUMANITIES AWARD in memory of Gertude de Gallaix -  sponsored in part by AAWE Paris $5000 This award is for the study of teaching, law, social studies, history, languages, etc. Both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible. Both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible.  Hannah Jones, her mother is a member of AWC Zurich Gold Award Girl Scout, Captain of the school swim team, volunteer at the local elementary school, member of the yearbook club, cross county team and Amnesty International, she also found time to spend a week volunteering at a Romanian orphanage.  She is consistently on the school Honor Role.  Having moved 14 times, she has experienced a variety of cultures and customs and feels that living in a foreign country has taught her first hand that all learning does not happen in the classroom.  With her natural affinity for children, leadership skills, ambition and motivation, she is determined to become an influential teacher.
	AWC Basel FAWCO MEMBERS AWARD FOR UNIVERSITY DEGREE STUDY PROGRAMS - sponsored by Shirley Kearney $5000 This award, open to all FAWCO club members, is for continuing or resuming her education in an undergraduate or graduate level university program. The candidate may study in any country.  Elizabeth Suzanne Dyer, she is a member of AWC Lebanon During her 29 years as a nurse, she has worked in four U.S. states and two foreign countries.  Her home for the last thirteen years has been in Lebanon, where she presented herself as a candidate for the Consultancy with the Ministry of Health Accreditation Project, positively impacting the professional lives of bedside nurses.  Her goal now is to gain a degree to become a Nurse Educator, continuing in her words “to strive to be a positive agent of change wherever I am.”
	FAWCO MEMBERS SKILLS ENHANCEMENT AWARD - sponsored in part by AWC Zurich $3000 This new award, open to all FAWCO club members, is for acquiring new skills or enhancing already existing ones. The candidate may study in any country. My-Linh Kunst, she is a member of AWC Berlin A natural achiever, she has carved out a 2nd career raising awareness of issues through her art.  Inspired by the achievements of FAWCO’s ‘World Women’ she profiled some of the exceptional American women in the book Beyond Borders: Portraits of American Women From Around the World.  FAWCO’s Ending Violence against Women and Children Committee again opened her eyes to yet another opportunity, a potential photo series on “The Face of Sex Trafficking.”  She will begin a specialized course in photojournalism skills with the ultimate goal of completing the photo series as her graduation project.
	SPECIAL CHALLENGES FUND - sponsored in part by Chilterns AWC $3000 This fund is for the parent of a student between the ages of 5 and 15 years of age with a special challenge such as physical handicap, hearing impairment, visual impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, or with a specific learning disability. The Fund is for specialized training or tutoring at a recognized private or public school, or other specialized institution, for a therapy program carried out by licensed professionals, or for special equipment or devices needed to facilitate the student’s educational progress. The training or tutoring may be carried out in any country. Wiley Ann Becker, her mother is a member of the AWC Brussels All of 8 yrs. old, this fun-loving and vivacious child has had to overcome hearing loss followed by two years of speech and language therapy.  This has resulted in difficulties at her French-speaking school, where she has struggled and has had to repeat 1st grade.  Presently working hard to keep from falling further behind, she receives speech and language therapy and has a tutor twice a week.  Her award will support the continuation of an educational specialist, a licensed psychologist for intellectual testing, speech and language therapy, and tutoring.
	DUAL CULTURAL AWARD in memory of Suzanne Erismann - sponsored in part by Donna Erismann and AWC Bern  $3000 This award enables bi-cultural high school children or grandchildren of FAWCO Members to become better acquainted with their American culture and education. This award may be used to attend a semester of American high school or an academic or structured educational summer program in the United States. The recipient must be between 13 and 18 years old at the time of application and have lived outside the United States for at least the last 6 years. His or her parents will be responsible for all arrangements regarding study and housing in the United States. The candidate must be the child or grandchild of one U.S. citizen parent. Curtis Meloy Goldsby, his mother is a member of AWC Cologne Born in New York City, he has spent most of his life living in Germany, expressing his American roots through Jazz music, playing percussion in his school Big Band.  He studies piano and drums privately and has started a small band playing Jazz and Classical music, incorporating elements of Hip-Hop and Funk.  His aim is to attend an intensive summer Jazz workshop in Louisville, KY, where he can “hang out” and work hard with other young Jazz students from all over the USA.