AAUW Kingston Branch Scholarship Winners

(L to R) Yuvelca Reyes, Irwin Rosenthal, and Marie Daniels

We had a great opportunity to meet with our two 2010 scholarship winners at the annual picnic this month. Both earned associates degrees from Ulster Community College this month and will use their scholarship money to pursue their bachelor degrees.

Yuvelca Reyes has enrolled with SUNY Empire to pursue her degree in therapeutic recreation, a major of her own design. Yuvelca believes that our lives and the world would be better if we all found things to do that we enjoy. Her quest is to help people find those things that are right for them. She's especially interested in using her motivational skills to engage residents in Newburgh in constructive fun -- an alternative to the gangs and crime we've been following in the news. To that end, she's been organizing a July 4th tournament. Yuvelca is full of energy and ideas; now she wants to learn how to make them work.

Marie Daniels has enrolled at SUNY New Paltz. Her plan is to get a degree and teaching credentials in earth science and teach. But that's just the first step. Marie loves library science and plans to pursue a graduate degree to become a librarian. (Librarians love AAUW. There were three at the picnic, all ready to provide Marie guidance and support.)

Both these young women are mid-career students with children at home. They are following in the footsteps of many of us, balancing family and children, pursuing the love of learning and the need to support our families doing the things that we love.


Irwin Rosenthal and Doris Goldberg, Education Foundation co-chairs, coordinated selection of our 2010 recipients. You won't find Doris in the picture. Why? She had to leave early for a library board meeting!

Congratulations to Marie and Yuvelca. The branch has given them student memberships to AAUW so we hope to see a lot more of them and follow their career.