Published 18 Jul, 2014
TWU International and local elected officers and staff gather for the 2014 scholarship drawings at the TWU International union hall in Washington, DC. From left to right: (at front) Union Benefit Planners Vice President of Sales and Marketing Lori Goldberg, Local 101 Vice President Josephine Arroyo, International Executive Vice President and Local 100 President John Samuelsen; (middle row) Local 101 Recording Secretary Constance Bradley, International President Harry Lombardo, Transit Division Director Jerome Lafagola; (at back) International Representative and COPE Field Staff Member Terry Daniels, Air Division Director Garry Drummond, nternational Secretary-Treasurer Alex Garcia, Local 2001 Treasurer Patrick Flanery, Railroad Division Director Gary Maslanka, and International Representative Andrew Rangolan.
This year, 25 sons and daughters of TWU members received college scholarships awarded by TWU International, Union Benefit Planners, Inc., TWU local unions, and Union Plus.
About the Michael J. Quill Scholarship & Winners
Since 1969, the TWU International has awarded 15 four-year college scholarships each year to college-bound dependents of TWU members. Each award recipient receives $1,200 annually, for a total of $4,800 over the four-year college period.
Presenting the winners of the 2014 Michael J. Quill Scholarship…
- Kevin Callagy, son of TWU member Thomas Callagy, who will be attending SUNY Stony Brook.
- Amanda Cato, daughter of TWU member Anthony Cato, who will be attending the University of Tampa.
- Tevin Clarke, son of TWU member Jennifer Arthur, who will be attending Penn State Schuylkill.
- David Ellis, son of TWU member John Ellis, who will be attending the University of Central Oklahoma.
- Bianca Hernandez, stepdaughter of TWU member Christopher Stancato, who will be attending Broward College.
- David Hernandez, son of TWU member George Hernandez, Jr., who will be attending the City College of New York.
- Michele Hilton, daughter of TWU member Robert Hilton, who will be attending Pace University.
- Madison Hofmann-Molovich, son of TWU member John Molovich, who will be attending the University of North Texas.
- Lauren James, daughter of TWU member Roger James, who will be attending the University of Tulsa.
- Danielle John, daughter of TWU member Ian John, who will be attending Saint John’s University.
- Anna Kapitman, daughter of TWU member Vadim Kapitman, who will be attending Cornell University.
- Amanda McShane, daughter of TWU member Robert McShane, who will be attending Rogers State University.
- Samantha Mejia, daughter of TWU member William Mejia, who will be attending Texas State University.
- Destiny Spruill, daughter of TWU member Donald Jones, who will be attending Howard University.
- Michael Tobin, son of TWU member Michael Tobin, who will be attending SUNY Orange.
TWU Founder Mike Quill (seated, left) talks to reporters at a press conference in New York in 1964.
The Quill Scholarship has benefitted hundreds of families throughout the TWU. Sons and daughters of our members in city passenger transit, railroad and air transportation, utilities, public employment, space installations, and allied industries are among those who began their college educations with the help of the TWU’s signature scholarship, bearing the name of our founder.
The Quill Scholarship Program is supervised by International Executive Vice President John Samuelsen with the able assistance of Executive Secretary Tinisha Thompson.
For more information, please visit the scholarship’s page on our website by clicking here.
About the Union Benefit Planners, Inc. Scholarship & Winners
This year, Union Benefit Planners, Inc. awarded five scholarships to high school seniors, who are dependents of TWU members. Each scholarship award is for $2,400 toward tuition costs for the students’ freshman year. This generous scholarship is overseen by Union Benefit Planners, Inc. President Steve DeBiasi.
Presenting the winners of the 2014 Union Benefit Planners, Inc. Scholarship…
- Justin Francis, son of TWU member LeRay Weekes, who will be attending SUNY University at Buffalo.
- Justin Gaffey, son of TWU member Christopher Gaffey, who will be attending the University of North Texas.
- Lauren Lee, daughter of TWU member Wing Lee, who will be attending Rutgers University.
- Jacob Rivera, son of TWU member Paul Rivera, who will be attending Aurora University.
- Michelle Salati, daughter of TWU member Fernando Salati, Jr., who will be attending Hofstra University.
Lori Goldberg, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Union Benefit Planners, Inc., (at right) draws a name from the lottery box for the Union Benefit Planners scholarship award. TWU International Executive Vice President John Samuelsen, at left, reads out the name of the winner.
About TWU Local Scholarships and Winners
Many of our TWU locals, including Local 514, Local 2001, and Local 252, among others, provide college scholarships to sons and daughters of TWU members.
This year’s winners of the Local 514 scholarship were high school seniors Savanna Williams, Melissa Renkema, and Meranda Golbeck. The winner of Local 2001’s college scholarship for 2014 was high school senior Meagan Spencer.
About the 2014 Union Plus Scholarship and Winner
Ashley Mathew, daughter of Local 100 member Mathai Mathew, was a recipient of the 2014 Union Plus Scholarship.
Ashley was selected out of 5,300 applicants from all 50 states to receive this prestigious merit-based award, granted by the scholarship fund’s panel of judges to applicants based on their academic ability, character, leadership, financial need and appreciation of labor values. Ashley will receive a $2,000 award toward her college tuition.
“The union has provided my family a quality of life that otherwise would not have been possible,” she said.