One top scholar each year is awarded a four-year Presidential Scholarship. This award was started by the National MS Society’s current president and CEO, Joyce Nelson.
Elizabeth Dorn—National MS Society Presidential Scholar
Funding provided by Teva Neuroscience
National Capital Chapter
Father with MS
4.0 GPA, Top 10% of Class
High SAT Scores
Pillar of Strength, Hope & Love
Moving among home, school and community, Elizabeth must stay one step ahead in every direction. She has been her family’s chief cook, bottle washer and mainstay since her mom passed away four years ago. She is also the prime caregiver to her dad, who has primary progressive MS. The proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Elizabeth is that village. She managed to excel in school, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, take three highly demanding AP classes, play three sports, and raise funds and awareness for the local National Capital Chapter. Other honors include Cum Laude Society, Maryland Distinguished Scholar, and national Spanish exam bronze medalist. She would like to continue her service projects as she studies anthropology this fall. As one of her teachers says, “Beth has an inspirational story and she will continue to be a leader both in the classroom and in the larger world.”
Each year a four-year scholarship is awarded to a top scholar in honor of the Society’s past president and CEO, General Mike Dugan, USAF, retired.
Amanda Sumner—National MS Society Mike Dugan Scholar
Funding provided by The Modestus Bauer Foundation
Utah State Chapter
Father with MS
Top 10% of Class
"First a Hug and then a Kiss"
It was a ritual between them, this devoted father and daughter. It began when Amanda was in the third grade and her dad was at home, confined to bed because of MS. Every night they would play a little game. After she said, “Good night, Dad I love you,” he would always say, “First a hug and then a kiss.” Amanda says this exchange is etched forever in her memory and keeps her heart from breaking. She will honor her father, who passed away two years ago, by studying educational psychology with the hope of working with adults and children with disabilities in the future.
Alexandra Adams
Funding provided by the Mid Atlantic Chapter and Mr. Arthur Collias
Mid Atlantic Chapter
Mother with MS
3.9 GPA, High SAT Scores
Renaissance Young Woman
It would take pages to list Alexandra’s accomplishments, in and out of school. She has found the time to excel in honors and AP courses, co-edit the school literary magazine, and volunteer for countless community projects, including Walk MS and Bike MS. Alexandra plans on a dual college major, in preservation and in urban and community planning. She wishes to “preserve the fantastic buildings, gardens and communities of the 'old South' while at the same time preparing to work with developers in the rapidly growing ‘new South’ to make communities more usable and convenient.…”
Amy Carabes
Funding provided by the Lone Star Chapter
Lone Star Chapter
Mother with MS
Strength of Spirit
Amy’s cry is plaintive: “I want my mother back.” Just one year ago, the strange but persistent symptoms were finally diagnosed as MS. The daughter feels her mom’s strength and spirit. She knows their love is unconditional. She knows her mom will never give up. Yet, she speaks the truthful longing of a young woman who wants her mother to “take her places, show her how to wear high heels, beat up boys who broke her daughter’s heart.” She also knows they will both “continue to believe, dream, hope, and of course, pray for the best.” Amy will study political science next year and possibly go to law school in order to better serve her community.
Jonathan Centracchio
Funding provided by Teva Neuroscience
Rhode Island Chapter
Mother with MS
Top 10% of Class, 3.7 GPA
Dreams from My Mother
Jonathan’s poem, “Falling through Time,” poignantly expresses the author’s memories of his mother, who is now in a nursing home, unable to speak. She was 36 and he was 6 when she left home.
I heard the words, spoken for the last time
The words I long to hear again to this day.
A simple “I love you” escapes her lips.
Jonathan will paint his world with a large brush, able to do the things his mother would want him to do. He says, “I want to be an author, a traveler, a teacher, an engineer, a pilot, an actor, a director and a girl’s mister wonderful. I want to do everything my mom couldn’t do, be everything she couldn’t be…” Watch out world! Here comes Jonathan!
Krista Collopy
Funding provided by Teva Neuroscience
New Jersey Metro Chapter
Mother with MS
Krista's Crew
Krista is a person who truly lives the old adage,”When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Her beloved mom struggles with progressive MS and her devoted father was the family mainstay until he suddenly passed away from a brain tumor. This left the role of primary caregiver to Krista, who was 9. Yet she is grateful for all the help and love given to her from others, including the National MS Society. For nine years she has been the captain of Krista’s Crew, a Bike MS team founded by her dad. Over the years, she and her friends and family have raised over $50,000 for the MS cause. She sees this feat as “paying it forward” for all the support she has received.
Ian Finn
Funding provided by the Central New England Chapter and Mr. Arthur Collias
Central New England Chapter
Person with MS
3.5 GPA
MS Takes a Back Seat
Ian has struggled with overcoming chronic illness almost his whole life. Every year after seventh grade, he was hospitalized with optic neuritis. Finally, in his sophomore year, he learned he had MS. Understandably discouraged, he let his grades slip and fell into a slump. He just wanted to be seen as plain Ian Finn, not the boy with MS. Soon he came to realize it was up to him to give himself “a metaphorical slap.” He began to work hard at school and it showed. His grades improved dramatically. He also stepped up his athletic abilities and excelled in rowing and on the swim team. He is now on his way to college where he will study linguistics and turn his knowledge of other languages into a career. He is now seen as “simply Ian Finn.”
Stevie Gildehaus
Funding provided by the Greater Washington Chapter
Inland Northwest Chapter
Mother with MS
Valedictorian of Class, 4.0 GPA
Her Personal Best
Like her mother before her, Stevie is an athlete whose personal best includes not only sports (varsity cross country, track and field) but also academic pursuits and community service. She is a four-year member of the National Honor Society and a mentor for incoming freshmen, has taken AP courses including calculus, and volunteers in two drug abuse awareness programs. Despite the physical symptoms of MS, Stevie’s mom has always been her champion on and off the playing field. Her mom’s two-wheel bike was traded in for a four-wheel chair, yet her high spirits “march her onward in her steps to recovery.” Stevie, who plans to study engineering, says her drive is directly related to her mom’s.
Jennifer Jendusa
Funding provided by the Wisconsin Chapter and the CentiMark Corporation
Wisconsin Chapter
Father with MS
3.8 GPA
An Ode to Papa
For the last several years, Jenny has found inspiration in working with families like hers who live each day with MS. As a member of the National Honor Society, Student Senate, National Congressional Youth Congress, tennis team and numerous school clubs, Jenny has worked to spread MS awareness at school and in her community. She has organized fundraisers and participated in Walk MS. She's volunteered at the rescue mission, Habitat for Humanity, her church and a local hospital. Jenny also enjoys tutoring children and is an ardent advocate for people with disabilities. This fall, Jenny will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she will pursue studies in Political Science and Pre-law. In her essay, My Papa’s Shoes, Jenny recalled the joy of her first and last dance with her father, who was diagnosed with MS over 28 years ago. “My hope is that other sons and daughters of people living with MS will have the opportunity to share precious moments with each other . . . a dance, a dream, a walk down any path they choose . . . I believe that day will come. Until a cure is found, I remain dedicated to speaking out about MS, as my Papa’s daughter and voice of MS for families like mine.”
Christina Malleo
Funding provided by the New Jersey Metro Chapter and the CentiMark Corporation
New Jersey Metro Chapter
Father with MS
3.8 GPA, High SAT Scores
Transformation
As her dad’s MS progressed, Christina played the blame game in terms of what it prevented her from doing. Using MS as a scapegoat became the order of the day. Her dad, however, faced every obstacle by looking at the glass as half full. His positive “can do” attitude eventually won her over. She now sees that her dad’s perseverance, which he demonstrated throughout her childhood, has made her a much more independent and patient person. She plans to study psychology in college and enter the helping professions.
Pamela Medrano
Funding provided by Teva Neuroscience
Connecticut Chapter
Mother with MS
Second in her class, 4.0 GPA
High SAT Scores
Embracing the Moments
Wise beyond her years, Pamela has learned to take life as it comes. She surmounts obstacles determined to do her best. She has learned from her mom, whose battleground is MS. As she sees her mother struggling, “I become a leaning tower for her.” This straight-A student is interested in medicine and will train to be a pediatrician. At the same time, she remains committed to her role as her mom’s chief supporter. She says she embraces the moments she spends with her mom, cherishing them more than ever as she embarks on her own quest for autonomy and self-reliance.
Anna Palmer
Funding provided by the Kentucky/SE Indiana Chapter and Mr. Arthur Collias
Kentucky/SE Indiana Chapter
Father with MS
Valedictorian of Class
4.0 GPA, High SAT Scores
Promising Scientist
Anna’s interest in science grew as she learned more about the ways MS affected her dad. She was only 8 years old when she first heard the words ”multiple sclerosis.” This straight-A student will graduate with a 4.0 GPA, earning her the title of Valedictorian. She is interested in pursuing a career in pharmacy or epidemiology. Either way, her talents will be put to good use in the search for the answers to MS.
Zachary Poskin
Funding provided by the Mid America Chapter and the CentiMark Corporation
Mid America Chapter
Father with MS
4.0 GPA, High SAT Scores
Stepping to the Plate
Early on, when Zachary learned of his dad’s MS, he tried to distance himself from his family. It was difficult to deal with the changes going on around him and the emotional pain that ensued. His older brother set the bar higher, acting as family mediator and providing great support to his parents and siblings. When his older brother left for college, Zachary began to step to the plate and “no longer ran and hid from problems but dealt with them logically and directly.” On the brink of a college career, he now sees himself as a more responsible and independent adult who wants to pursue a degree in biochemistry and conduct research in the future.
Jessica Schrimpl
Funding provided by Teva Neuroscience
Greater Illinois Chapter
Person with MS; Mother with MS
3.5 GPA
Resilience
As the only daughter of a single parent with MS, Jessica knows the many skills it takes to be a primary caregiver. She and her mom have always been close, and are even closer now. Three years ago, they came to share a common disease. Jessica says she is fortunate to have “a loving role model” to help her through her own journey with MS. She also praises her mom’s strength and ability to bounce back from many of the difficult challenges of this disease. Jessica will be in a good position to educate and advocate for MS when she earns her degree in media communications and goes on to work in broadcasting. She has had a good teacher.
Andrew Scrima
Funding provided by the Wisconsin Chapter and Mr. Arthur Collias
Wisconsin Chapter
Father with MS
3.7 GPA
Making a Difference
Andrew’s dad has MS and it has progressed to the point where he is in a nursing home. Although Andrew visits him frequently, he says it’s difficult to talk about the disease and its affect on him and his family. One person he can count on is his uncle, who is a school psychologist. He has become like a second dad to Andrew and has had a direct influence on his nephew’s interest in pursuing a career in psychology himself. He says his plan is “to be there for other students whose parents experience illness, injury or other problems. I know what it can be like and how alone you feel.” He will surely make a difference in the lives of others.
Emily Strickland
Funding provided by the All America Chapter and the ICSC Foundation
All America Chapter – Arkansas Division
Father with MS
4.0 GPA, Top 3% of Class
Hope through Science
MS has been an ongoing battle for Emily’s family, especially for her dad who is now a quadriplegic and unable to work. Her mom quit her job to become his full-time caregiver. The family has become a major force in fundraising for the National MS Society; Emily’s dad was the top Walk MS fundraiser in two states. Emily will use her experiences living with MS in the family by entering the medical profession. She wants to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering in order to develop new tools to assist those with disabilities.
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