2012 Scholarship Recipients
View the list of 2012 Scholarship Recipients from Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
Scholarship Applications for 2013 become available in October at nationalMSsociety.org/Scholarship
From The President
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The MS Scholarship program is one of the most important ways that the National MS Society provides direct assistance to families who are affected by multiple sclerosis. Since it was established in 2003 with a generous donation from Chapter Trustee Arthur Collias, the MS Scholarship program has helped thousands of families around the country send their sons and daughters to college. And, in some cases it has helped adults with MS attend college for the first time.
While MS Scholarships, which range from $1,000 to $3,000, are modest compared to tuition, they do play a significant role in defraying expenses associated with attending college, such as activity and book fees, and more. These incidental expenses can often be an obstacle to students actually attending the schools that accept them, which is truly a frustrating reason not to pursue a college education.
The MS Scholarship Program grew substantially from 36 scholarships nationwide in 2003 totaling $68,500, to 639 nationwide in 2011 totaling nearly $1 million. This year, the Greater New England Chapter was able to fund scholarships locally for 16 students, and we sincerely wish it could have been more. As we strive to increase funding for research to end MS forever, and to fund our efforts in MS education, support, advocacy, and services, we also search for more donors who believe that MS shouldn’t stand in the way of an education.
Speaking on behalf of our Chapter Trustees and Staff, we are all extremely proud of the 16 students who received MS Scholarships this year (pictured on the cover). There is one student from Vermont, one from New Hampshire, eight from Massachusetts, and six from Maine. Two of the students have MS, and the others have a mother or father with MS. Many of the campuses they will attend are here in New England, including an Ivy League school.
We wish each student much success in their college careers and in life. During their time at school, the Society maintains a connection with the students, and helps them to interact with each other through a private Facebook group that each is invited to join. The group gives students an opportunity to reach out to others nearby who come from different areas of the country, but are attending the same school or a school in the same city. The Facebook group can also help students identify the Society’s closest office in their new community.
As you review your charitable giving choices, and when you speak with family members and friends about their donations, please consider a generous gift to the MS Scholarship Program to maintain the vital role it plays in helping families affected by MS.
Arlyn White
President & CEO
MSconnection.org
What if everyone who cares about MS could join together in one place?
Share what you know at www.MSConnection.org.
When you join the National MS Society’s MSConnection.org, you’ll be able to make meaningful connections when, where and how you want, with easy access to the best content and resources the MS community can bring you. You can share information about the topics that are most important to you, connect with people, and have expert MS information and opinions right at your fingertips.
CONNECT to create change:
- Be an MS Activist. Connect with other Activists.
CONNECT to get involved:
- Find an MS Walk, share fundraising ideas.
CONNECT to ask questions:
- Learn more about MS from an MS Navigator.
CONNECT to be heard:
- Participate in discussion groups & blogs. Share what you know.
CONNECT to give & receive support:
- Find Self-Help Groups near you.
- Join the “Online Peer Connections Program. ”
- Call “MSFriends.”
No computer?
You can still CONNECT!
- MSFriends is a telephone support program: call 1-866-673-7436.
- The Online Peer Connections Program has a telephone component for individuals with limited computer access: Contact Monica Aden, Online Peer Connections Coordinator, at 1-303-698-6100 ext. 15169.
- And don’t forget…to learn more about Society Connection Programs or for other questions and information, an MS Navigator is just a phone call away: 1-800-344-4867.
Study Shows Hotter Days May Worsen the Ability to Perform Mental Tasks in Some People with MS
People with multiple sclerosis often report worse symptoms when the weather is hot. A recent study concludes that hot weather may also worsen the ability to perform mental tasks in some people with MS. The research, which needs further exploration, may help people plan activities and may improve the design of future clinical trials.
Warmer weather tends to worsen many people’s neurological symptoms of MS. Recent research also suggests that relapses are more likely to occur in warmer months, and some people may have more MRI-detected active MS brain lesions during these months. This study examined a possible link between outside temperature and the ability of people with MS to perform various mental tasks.
Results in a recent test showed that people with MS tended to perform worse when the weather was hotter than when it was cooler. People without MS performed equally as well regardless of the outside temperature.
The investigators also examined the performance of a separate group of people with MS on these same mental tasks, measured at two time points that were six months apart. The outside temperature was recorded on each testing day. Again, the researchers noted poorer performance when the outside temperature was higher on the day of testing.
This study has several implications. For one, awareness of heat-related problems with mental tasks may impact lifestyle decisions; for example, whether to take a mentally challenging college course in the summer or winter. The results also suggest that clinical trials involving people with MS should take temperature into consideration both when designing the study and interpreting the results, especially when cognitive testing is used as a treatment outcome measure.
Save the Date: Chapter Annual Meeting & Conference
Saturday, October 20, 2012
This conference includes education seminars, the annual meeting of members, a research update, and a health, wellness, and resource EXPO.
- Maine – Civic Center, Augusta
- Massachusetts – DCU Center, Worcester
- New Hampshire – Executive Court, Manchester
- Vermont – The Essex, Essex