Eileen Stahulak, longtime AAUW member and retired teacher, has memorial scholarship named in her honor.
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) Palos/Orland Area Branch created the Eileen Stahulak Scholarship to honor the memory of a longtime member who died in September 2020. The memorial scholarship will help a female student who is 40 or older complete her education at Moraine Valley Community College.
“Eileen was a teacher and a reading specialist in the Chicago Public School system for many years. She was devoted to her job and to the kids,” said Marie Kaminski, president of the AAUW Palos/Orland Area Branch. “She was a member of our branch since 2005 and was very involved in our holiday auction, which raises money for scholarships. When she passed away, I suggested to her family that they might want to allow people to donate to a scholarship through AAUW in her memory.”
Family members, friends and fellow AAUW members contributed $1,300 toward the scholarship. The branch then committed to adding an additional $200 to make it a $1,500 scholarship. “Creating a scholarship in her honor seemed like a natural fit. It’s a nice way to honor her,” Kaminski said.
The AAUW Palos/Orland Area Branch has supported an annual $1,500 Moraine Valley Foundation scholarship for 10 years. The Eileen Stahulak Scholarship will be offered this year in addition to the annual Anita Ritzler Scholarship. The branch’s members believe supporting scholarships can make a difference in the lives of women.
“I think our hope is that the recipients will take advantage of the opportunity to complete their education and go into a career that is meaningful to them and for society,” Kaminski said.
The Eileen Stahulak Scholarship will be awarded for the fall 2021 and spring 2022 semesters through the Moraine Valley Foundation to a female student who is 40 years or older, maintains a 2.5 GPA and demonstrates financial need.
For more information on creating a scholarship at Moraine Valley, contact Kristy McGreal, executive director of the Moraine Valley Foundation, at mcgrealc2@morainevalley.edu.
