Northern Michigan University art and design student Alayna Storey was awarded a $500 scholarship from the Ukrainian American Veterans as part of their annual essay competition.
“I was very proud and thankful to get the scholarship,” said Storey. “The organization is very active, especially in Michigan, and also very generous and giving. My mom is almost 50% Ukrainian ethnicity and my dad is a veteran and that is how I found the scholarship.”
Students were required to write an essay of 400-500 words about one of the following current military or related topics: the war in Ukraine, human rights war violations in Ukraine, negative war effects on returning American veterans, Russian aggression in Ukraine, and Ukrainian American veterans' contributions to America's wars.
“I focused on the humanitarian aspects of this war, which was preventable, and how it has and will continue to affect families and children focusing on the lack of and disruption of healthcare and education,” said Storey.
Other criteria considered for a scholarship are academic achievement and extracurricular activities. The UAV recognized 11 recipients for this year's Scholarship Awards.
To be eligible for a UAV scholarship, applicants must be descendants of or related to a Ukrainian American veteran who is or was a member of the UAV organization. Applicants should be full-time undergraduate or part/full-time graduate students in a degree program.