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Tolland Student Receives National MS Society Scholarship

June 9, 2015

TOLLAND, Conn. – Stavros Evripidou, 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.

A varsity hockey player for Tolland High School for four years, Evripidou is described by school administrators as a natural-born leader on and off the ice.

“At this time last year when we were having some difficulties at athletic contests, our school’s athletic director and I called upon Stavros to help us solve the problem,” wrote Tolland High principal Dominique Fox. “He was able to bring a positive change and a much needed increased level of respect for our competitors.”

Evripidou, 17, now a graduate of Tolland High, has chosen to attend San Diego State University to pursue a degree in journalism, with an emphasis in public relations.

“When I dig deep, I realize that I am an ordinary kid looking to do extraordinary things,” he wrote in his scholarship application. “But I believe that a winning team is not always made up of the smartest or fastest; those who can jump the highest or throw the farthest. I think it has to be made up of those of us just trying to achieve our best.”

Evripidou hopes to use his career to help generate a greater awareness for multiple sclerosis, a disease with which his mother has lived since 2003.

More than 6,500 Connecticut residents, like Evripidou’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.

Evripidou 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.

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 Evripidou family and those diagnosed with 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.

About the Connecticut-Rhode Island Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society

The Connecticut Chapter strives to provide knowledge and assistance to help people with MS and their families maintain the highest possible quality of life. These goals are achieved through vital national and local programs.

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are leading to better understanding and moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS 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.

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