Public Employee Press: PEP Talk
Education Committee gives union scholars $8K
By DIANE S. WILLIAMS
The DC 37 Education Committee recently awarded six scholarships — two $2,000 awards to active DC 37 members and four $1,000 awards to union members’ dependents.
“We had some outstanding young scholars to choose from this year and we were happy to award the top scholarships to city employees attending state and city universities,” said Magaly Rosario, president of Local 1655, and the Education Committee chair.
Local 461 City Lifeguard Gianna Barcia won the $2,000 Lillian Roberts scholarship. A senior at Binghamton University, Barcia has worked for the Parks Department since age 16. In her winning essay, Barcia wrote about her job of keeping beaches safe with rescues of an elderly woman and also a group of children stuck in a rip current.
“Being a DC 37 member draws me back to the beach every summer,” Barcia wrote, “and allows me to help my community by teaching others to swim and doing my part in preventing drownings.”
Local 1407 member Andrew Marcus won the $2,000 Dwayne Dugger Memorial Scholarship. He is currently enrolled in the urban planning master’s degree program at Hunter College, where he graduated valedictorian as an undergraduate.
“Being a DC 37 member provides me peace of mind,” Marcus wrote in his essay. “I feel secure from our professional support, financial advocacy, and health coverage.”
Marcus works at the Department of Small Business Services and received the commissioner’s Everyday Leadership Award. He is active in community service and founded the Jewish-Greek annual street festival attended by thousands.
The DC 37 Education Committee $1,000 scholarship winners are:
- Erin Connolly, Local 372: Education Committee Scholarship
- Rina Hisajima, Local 1503: Memorial Scholarship
- Courtnee Hayes, Local 1931: Evelyn Gaskin Scholarship
- Dylan Gaznabbi, Local 2627: Overcoming Obstacles Scholarship
