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April 2023 - Scholarship Presentation and Benefit Dinner Dance
2018 Scholarship Recipient Comments
Good evening everyone. Thank you all for being here in support of Kevin’s Fund and each of Kevin’s scholarship recipients.
Five years go by so quickly. It seems like just yesterday that I stood before many of you as a high school senior, overwhelmingly grateful to be named as the 2018 recipient of Kevin's Norwalk High School Scholarship, and eagerly awaiting to embark upon my college journey. That night, I felt so many different emotions. I was nervous, excited, honored, and appreciative. Now I stand before you as a college graduate, feeling all of these same emotions, but with a bit of newfound insight. This is, without a doubt, a full-circle moment.
Some highlights from my Cornell career include my induction into the Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Key Honor Societies, my involvement as a Research Assistant for two distinct lab groups, my role as the Music Director of my a cappella group, and over 500 hours of dedicated community service as an Orientation Leader, College Ambassador, and Diversity & Inclusion Chair.
All of these experiences have been incredibly formative, but they alone do not adequately encapsulate my full Cornell story. I think that my college journey can be best characterized as “a series of adjustments.” There was Adjustment #1: Freshman year, getting oriented, and being floored by the daunting realization that Cornell was not in fact going to be a walk in the park, as I had hoped it would be. There was Adjustment #2: Sophomore year, the start of a global pandemic, and being sent home from school all in the blink of an eye. Adjustment #3: Junior year, hybrid instruction, and trying to get by on Zoom University. Finally, Adjustment #4: Senior year, learning to regain a sense of normalcy, and trying to make up for lost time before graduation.
If it isn’t already clear, my Cornell experience wasn’t exactly what I expected it to be. The path to graduation was certainly full of twists and turns. But looking back, I now realize that this twisting path is precisely what led me to discover new passions. Amidst all of the chaos and commotion, I became part of many meaningful communities, and learned many valuable lessons — the most important being to expand my horizons.
Being an Eidt Scholar encouraged me to venture outside of my comfort zone and challenge my boundaries. I often reflected upon the courage that Mr. and Mrs. Eidt demonstrated while navigating their unfathomable grief and loss, andloss and used this as motivation to embark into the world of unfamiliarity. While at Cornell, I happily continued taking part in the activities I already knew I loved, like singing and volleyball. But my fondest college memories actually came from all of the new activities that I tried on a total whim — like Canoe Battleship, Javanese Gamelan Ensemble, and “Deixa Sambar,” Cornell’s best (and only) Brazilian percussion ensemble.
Surprisingly enough, this ragtag drumming group was, without question, my most important Cornell experience. Deixa Sambar consisted of more than just mere music-making — it was a mixture of interchanging ideas, inviting cultural exchange, and engaging in camaraderie. I learned that playing samba requires simultaneous stability and flexibility. You have to be strong, commanding, and confident, while also finding your place within the larger, more intricate context of the group. Samba is much freer than other forms of music; not as placed, not as choreographed, but remarkably beautiful. At its core, samba is about in-the-moment feeling, joy and expression — and much like this scholarship, it’s an incredible thing to be a part of.
Since samba-ing my way through Cornell and graduating with a BA in Biology and Society with minor in History and grade point average of 4.0, I have been working as an ophthalmic technician and research assistant, with plans to start public health school in the Fall. My goal is to combat health obstacles among vulnerable populations and alleviate disproportionate health outcomes via epidemiological globalization. In short, I want to help people. And I am confident that I will do so, especially because I am bonded to the ideals that his scholarship is built upon.
Every Kevin M. Eidt scholarship recipient is incredibly unique. We all vary greatly in terms of our backgrounds, passions, and experiences. But we are connected by Kevin’s spirit, which has impelled in us a fierce commitment to spread optimism and better our communities. Like a plant whose spores have freely flown into the wind, we are all a part of Kevin’s diaspora — his garden of positive change-makers. The preservation of Kevin's garden — the cultivation of new, promising plants — is made possible by the gracious and faithful support of the fund’s donors, the Eidt family, and the Norwalk community at-large. Words alone are not enough to convey the depth of my gratitude. Becoming part of this legacy has truly been the honor of a lifetime, and I sincerely thank you all for investing in my education and inspiring me to learn and grow from Kevin over the past few years. The impact that this scholarship has had on me truly cannot be overstated. As for the future, I will continue to take pages out of Kevin’s book. I will strive to live compassionately and exuberantly while inspiring others to do the same. Thank you.
Background
The Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship Fund was established through the generosity of the many people Kevin touched in his short life. Kevin, an 18-year-old dean's list freshman in the honors program at Boston College, passed away from cardiac arrest on January 23, 1997 while playing intramural basketball. Kevin set the example of the passion and sincerity we should bring to each day. He was an individual with vision, commitment, abiding hope, aspirations, and compassion. And when we look back, it was a life, albeit a glimpse of life, by which people can be measured and judged by.
Mission
The mission of the Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship Fund is to preserve Kevin's spirit by paying tribute to achievements in academics, athletics, arts, and the virtues of service and faith that were the essence of Kevin's life.
Fund Facts
With 12 scholarships, valued at $160,500, awarded to the class of 2023, Kevin's Fund will have provided $2.7 Million in financial support to 222 exemplary young men and women matriculating at over 85 diverse colleges and universities in Kevin's memory. The dramatic growth in scholarship awards is directly related to the financial success of our annual benefit dinner dance, which began in 2000 and funded scholarships for the class of 2001. As a result of this generosity, Kevin's Fund has awarded the following scholarships.
To the class of 1997 $3,750 To the class of 1998 $5,000 To the class of 1999 $12,000 To the class of 2000 $13,000 To the class of 2001 $47,000 To the class of 2002 $55,000 To the class of 2003 $70,000 To the class of 2004 $85,000 To the class of 2005 $100,000 To the class of 2006 $111,000 To the class of 2007 $127,000 To the class of 2008 $139,000 To the class of 2009 $140,000 To the class of 2010 $118,000 To the class of 2011 $117,000 To the class of 2012 $115,000 To the class of 2013 $121,000 To the class of 2014 $122,000 To the class of 2015 $124,000 To the class of 2016 $122,250 To the class of 2017 $124,000 To the class of 2018 $127,000 To the class of 2019 $128,000 To the class of 2020 $128,000 To the class of 2021 $126,500 To the class of 2022 $156,000 To the class of 2023 $160,500
For the 2023 – 2024 academic year, Kevin’s Fund is providing financial support to 15 students matriculating at American University, Boston College (2), Champlain College, Columbia, Dartmouth, George Washington University, Liberty, Northeastern, Sacred Heart, Southern Connecticut State, UConn (2), Univeristy of Delaware, and UMass-Amherst.
| Scholarship Fund Accomplishments as of June 30, 2023 | |
| Recipients | 222 |
| Awards | $2,700,000 |
| Funding as % of Contributions | 99.5% |