TOLLAND, Conn. – Grace Mazzarella, of Tolland, has been named to receive a National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, 2015 Hayley’s Hope and Michaela’s Miracle MS Memorial Fund Scholarship.
Mazzarella, 18, a graduate of East Catholic High School, will attend Williams College, in Williamstown, MA, to pursue degrees in neuroscience and fine arts.
“As different as neuroscience and the fine arts are, I believe that they have the ability to inform each other in novel ways,” the high school senior said.
While that statement may seem like a stretch, one example the teen gives puts it all into perspective.
“I have been seriously studying the art of ballet since the age of six, but it wasn’t until my mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis that I came to really appreciate movement,” she said. “At the ballet barre, as I concentrate on warming up the muscles in my feet, I remember my mother, who can no longer point her ankle. As I releve up onto the balls of my feet to perform actions like balance and turn, I remember my mother, who can barely get up at all. As I nurse sore muscles after a hard class or wholehearted performance, I remember my mother, who must deal with burning muscles for no gratifying reason at all.”
More than 6,500 Connecticut residents, like Mazzarella’s mother, live with multiple sclerosis, a potentially debilitating disease. The cause is unknown and there is currently no cure. Symptoms can include numbness in the limbs, difficulties with vision and speech, stiffness, loss of mobility and, in some more severe cases, total paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted.
As a recipient of the Hayley’s Hope and Michaela’s Miracle MS Memorial Fund Scholarship, Mazzarella hopes to continue her ballet in college while doing her part in the world of science to unravel some of life’s mysteries, such as her mother’s MS.
“I admire my mother’s strength,” said Mazzarella. “As her body wilts, her character perseveres and she pulls my family and me up with her.”
Mazzarella was recognized by the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, at its annual Hayley’s Hope and Michaela’s Miracle MS Memorial Scholarship Reception, which was held at the Country Club of Farmington, Thursday, June 4. She is one of 30 students receiving a 2015 scholarship from the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter.
Petit family scholarships are made possible through the Hayley’s Hope and Michaela’s Miracle MS Memorial Fund, which specifically supports the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter’s family programs, caregivers programs and scholarships. The fund was established in July 2007 by the family to honor the memory of Jennifer Hawke-Petit, who had MS, and her daughters Hayley and Michaela, who were active with the chapter helping raise funds to support scientific research for a cure and local programs for families affected by MS.
Information for the 2016-17 school year scholarships will be available on the National MS Society website on October 1st. For more information on MS or for additional information on 2015 MS scholarship criteria, please contact the Connecticut Chapter at 860.913.2550 or visit www.ctfightsMS.org.
Program Continues To Grow Across the Country
The National MS Society established its scholarship program for students who have MS or a parent living with MS 12 years ago, and it immediately became a source of great encouragement for families concerned that MS might put college out of reach. This year, more than $1.2 million in awards were presented to over 800 new and renewal recipients nationwide. Applications are evaluated on financial need, academic record, leadership and volunteer activities, a statement of educational and career goals, and letters of recommendation. Applicants are also asked to provide a personal statement describing the impact MS has had on their life. Scholarships range from $1,000 to $3,000 and recipients are eligible to reapply each year to be considered for a future award. The program is competitive and awards are not guaranteed.
“For the Mazzarella family and others affected by MS across the country, there are very few known sources of scholarship assistance specially targeted for these families,” said Lisa Gerrol, Connecticut Chapter president and CEO. “MS shouldn’t stand in the way of an education, and we are hopeful this program will give families some relief.”
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system, interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 2.3 million people worldwide. It is the number one disabling neurological disease in young to middle-aged adults.
About the National MS Society
The Society mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS. To fulfill this mission, the Society funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, collaborates with MS organizations around the world, and provides programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward. To move us closer to creating a world free of MS, last year alone, the Society invested $50.2 million to support more than 380 new and ongoing research projects around the world while providing programs and services to over one million people. Join the movement at nationalMSsociety.org.