NEW YORK, June 21, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — “Seeing him struggle with everyday life was hard. Watching him struggle to find a word or try to remember something he once knew. My father evolved into a pale facsimile of who he had been. One minute he was doing something with purpose, and in the next minute, he couldn’t remember what it was he was doing,” recalled Kyra Carbone, 18, of her father’s battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Kyra, from Stoughton, Wis., continued in her essay, “To me, the saddest part of the disease, was all of the things he worked so hard to accomplish, were slowly taken away by something he had no control over; a simple little disease called Alzheimer’s.” Her winning essay earned her the grand prize—a $5,000 scholarship—in the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s (AFA) annual AFA Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness college scholarship competition. AFA awarded a total of $25,000 in scholarship money this year, the largest amount awarded in the history of AFA’s program, which started in 2008.
More than 3,000 college-bound seniors entered the competition (also, the most received entries in the history of the competition), which asks teens to describe how Alzheimer’s disease has impacted their lives and what they’ve learned about themselves and their families in the face of this disease. The essays challenged their knowledge of the disease, and also asked what they are doing to make a difference. The heartfelt stories shared the emotions, challenges and triumphs of caregiving, whether for a loved one or someone met through volunteering.
“The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease continues to rise, as do the costs of a college education. Many teens are finding themselves more involved in the disease, whether it’s caring for a parent, a grandparent, or volunteering in an assisted living facility,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s president and chief executive officer. “We were impressed with the emotional stories these teens shared, and are encouraged by how educated and involved they are in caregiving. We are seeing a more compassionate youth, and a growing number of teens who are interested in getting more involved in caregiving, medicine, fundraising, or finding other means to make a difference.”
AFA awarded a total of 24 scholarships to teens in 15 states. In addition to Carbone, this year’s winners are: first runner-up, Mary Chasen, 18, of Babylon, N.Y.; second runners-up, Damita Gomez, 17, of Lakewood, Wash.; and Julia House, 18, of Blackstone, Mass.; third runners-up, Emily DiMartino, 18, of Chicago, Ill..; and Aaron B. Smith, 18, of North Augusta, S.C.; fourth runners-up, Rachel Sinclair, 18, of Spotsylvania, Va; Bartolomeo Voto, 17, of Manhasset, N.Y.; Brooks Threatt, 18, of Clinton, S.C.; Taylor Ebben, 17, of Greenville, Wis.; Sarah Huber, 18, of Davenport, Iowa; Danielle Lawson, 17, of Athens, Ill.; Robert Emerson Schreck, 18, of Hummelstown, Pa; Kaitlin Morris, 18, of Port Washington, N.Y.; Madison Danovsky, 17, Maple Grove, Minn.; and Katherine Perry, 17, of Hilliard, Ohio; and honorable mentions, Amanda Marie Linehan, 19, of Newburyport, Mass.; Lauren Evans, 18, of Rochester, Minn.; Allison Berger, 17, of Harrisburg, N.C.; Kathryn Haran, 17, of Incline Village, Nev.; Laine Wood, 17, of Chico, Calif.; Nicole Carroll, 18, of Spotswood, N.J.; Jaime Lewis, 18, of Normal, Ill.; and Lina Petrossian, 18, of Glendale, Calif.
The first runner-up won a $3,500 scholarship. The second runners-up received $1,500; the third runners-up received $1,000; the fifth place winners each received $750; and the honorable mentions received $500 scholarships.
For more information, visit https://alzfdn.org/young-leaders-of-afa/afa-teens/.
About Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA):
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, based in New York, is a non-profit organization that unites more than 2,600 member organizations nationwide in the goal of providing optimal care and services to individuals living with dementia, and to their caregivers and families. Its services include a national, toll-free helpline (866-232-8484) staffed by licensed social workers, educational conferences and materials, a free quarterly magazine for caregivers, the National Memory Screening Program, and “AFA Partners in Care” dementia care training for healthcare professionals. For more information about AFA, call 866-232-8484, visit www.alzfdn.org, follow us on Twitter, or connect with us on Facebook or LinkedIn.
CONTACT: CONTACT: Sandy Silverstein 866-232-8484, ext. 104 [email protected]