PLAINFIELD, Conn. – Dylan Tondreau, of Plainfield, has been named to receive the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter’s Steve and Cyra Borsy Scholarship.
Tondreau, a graduate of Ellis Tech High School, will attend the University of Connecticut, Avery Point, to pursue a degree in chemical engineering. But, as he says, it has been a long, tough journey.
“When my mother was diagnosed with MS and I was only seven years old, everyone told me that ‘they’d explain it to me when I was older’,” said Tondreau, now 17. “I assumed that pushing my mom’s wheelchair through the corridors of the hospital so she could get her medicine was what everyone had to do.”
More than 6,500 Connecticut residents, like Tondreau’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 I got older, I learned that this might not be every family’s situation, but it was mine, so I pushed on,” he continued. “Now, I’ve grown into a young adult who has an understanding that life is short, and family is everything. So I may not have spent hours on end serving my community, but I have spent countless hours serving my family.”
As a recipient of the Steve and Cyra Borsy Scholarship, Tondreau hopes that he can become the first person in his family to attend college.
“I have always had a love for science, so I hope that studying chemical engineering will not only excite me, but also keep me and my family financially stable.”
Tondreau 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. He is one of 30 students receiving a 2015 scholarship from the National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter.
The scholarship was made possible through the generous support of National MS Society, Connecticut Chapter board member Stephen Borsy and his wife, Cyra.
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 Tondreau 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.