“I feel privileged to be a member of (UFCW District Union Local 1) that works for the greater good of the workers to protect our rights and to ensure fair treatment and equality in the workplace.”
— Angela Lambrix, Buffalo State senior

“Someday, in the field of law, I hope to defend people or groups otherwise unrepresented in our society and to ensure their rights and privileges.”
— Benjamin Pomerance, SUNY Plattsburgh senior

“A strong labor movement correlates not only with prosperity but with democracy. Unions are … one of the few institutions in which ordinary working people can give an organized response to the issues affecting their lives.”
— Venus Wiggins, Buffalo State senior

These young advocates are the latest in a long and distinguished list of SUNY undergraduates to earn UUP College Scholarships—scholarships that for more than two decades have helped make it possible for 64 students to pursue their dreams of a college education.

“Our $2,000 scholarships are often the deciding factor as to whether students can continue their SUNY education,” said UUP Secretary Eileen Landy, the officer liaison to the UUP committees charged with raising money and selecting recipients. “It would be a shame if these students—who are committed to academic excellence, social justice and labor ideals—were forced to drop out because they can’t pay tuition.”

UUP’s Scholarship Selection Committee, chaired by Alan Shank of Geneseo, has the difficult task of selecting recipients from an ever-growing field of candidates. This year, 50 applicants met the union’s stringent criteria that include a 3.75 GPA; a 500-word essay; letters of recommendation; and service to the community.

Despite the difficult selection process, Shank hopes the number of applicants continues to rise.

“I believe that there are students who are eligible, but who may not know about our scholarship,” Shank said. “That’s why we need our members—academics and professionals, full-timers and part-timers—to help us spread the word.”

A complete list of eligibility requirements and applications are available on the UUP Web site at www.uupinfo.org.

A more in-depth look at this year’s scholarship recipients will be published in next month’s issue of The Voice.

UUP is inviting members to make a difference in the lives of SUNY students by contributing to its College Scholarship Fund. The easiest way is to fill out the coupon below and mail it with a donation to: UUP Director of Finance, c/o UUP, P.O. Box 15143, Albany, NY 12212-5143.

Members may make memorial contributions in honor of family members, friends or colleagues, as well as in celebration of birthdays, anniversaries, retirements and other commemorative events. The names of honorees and donors will be added to either the Eugene and Beulah Link Memorial Journal or the Robert and Katherine Carter Celebratory Journal, which are housed at UUP headquarters. The Links and Carters were longtime contributors to the fund.

The UUP Scholarship Development Committee, under the leadership of Honorary Scholarship Trustee Gertrude Butera of Alfred, has raised nearly $700,000 through silent auctions, prize drawings, basket bazaars, book fairs, and the sale of note cards of photos and drawings by UUPers. Another $350,000 has been bequeathed to the fund.

The committee most recently added a Donor Wall of Hope to its fund drives. For a minimum donation of $100, members can purchase a laser-engraved wooden brick with a message of up to 50 characters. The wall is on display at UUP headquarters and is available to travel to union events.

“We want all UUP members to have the opportunity to donate to our scholarship fund,” Butera said. “It’s one of the most important things we can do for our students.”

— Karen L. Mattison