 |
|
|
|
June 2021 - Scholarship Presentation and Benefit Dinner Dance
2015 Scholarship Recipient Comments
Since becoming an honored recipient of the Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship in 2015, I have imagined this moment several times. Mostly with a little bit of trepidation. Each year, after listening to an alumnus speak at this event with wisdom and experience that felt well beyond my years, I thought to myself, “I hope, when I graduate college, that I have something to say!”
Over the past two years, we have all faced the difficult tasks of shedding our expectations and reimagining our special moments like birthdays, graduations, and weddings. I never could have envisioned that I would address this audience more than a year after it was initially planned, but I am so grateful that I was given this re-imagined moment and a bonus year to figure out something to say. So, a sincere thank you to the Eidt family for inviting me to speak here today and for your dedication to honoring each recent alumnus and recipient of the scholarship.
First, the logistics of my past six years: I graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Psychology. Throughout my four years, I was involved in club sports and volunteering. As treasurer and captain of the club swim team, I ran practice four times a week and organized meets with other club teams. Additionally, I volunteered with Student Programs for Urban Development at two local shelters. During the school year and summer breaks, I held internships in digital marketing, writing and publishing. I conducted research within my Psychology major, was inducted into the English Honors Society and was recognized as a Holy Cross senior who “lived the mission”. After graduating, I worked in digital marketing for nearly two years at Icon International in Greenwich. I recently accepted a new position as a Content Marketing and Copywriting Specialist at Ridgefield Academy.
I consider that to be the resume portion of my last six years. Because like a resume, it’s all true and has a nice ring to it. Part of my philosophy as a sage twenty-three year old, however, is to present myself realistically - especially for the current high school and college students in the room. It may come as a shock, but most of us twenty-three year olds do not feel like full-blown adults. When you graduate, you hear a lot of “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”. Well, the first place I went was home, and I haven’t left. The laundry service, meals, and ideal price of rent are not why I stay; I fear my parents would lack entertainment with an empty nest. The second place I found myself “going” was I-95, on my horrific commute between Norwalk and Greenwich. After a short stint of driving to work, my dad agreed to rescue me by dropping me off at the train station. The only price I had to pay was listening to him serenade me every morning at 7 am with “My Baby Takes the Morning Train”.
Despite all this, I maintain that the adages in “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” are still true - but are, by no means, immediate. Growth includes not only recognizing how far I’ve come since I last stood at this podium, but also acknowledging who helped and continues to help me along the way. So, thanks Dad - you were a five-star chauffeur!
With each passing year, my understanding of this scholarship’s significance has evolved. As many of you know, my sister Kelly suddenly passed away in April of my freshman year of college. You’ll never find it on my resume but returning to school and finishing out that semester is one of my proudest accomplishments and most meaningful learning experiences.
I learned that the greatest reimagining of all is picturing the rest of your life without a cherished human being in it. As my family adjusted to remembering Kelly rather than living with her, I also learned how incredibly difficult it is to speak about grief and loss. For me, it’s saying cautiously when I meet a new person, “I have three brothers” or “I’m the fifth kid” and wondering if the following questions will lead to having to explain that one of my siblings suddenly died. There is nothing about it that’s comfortable.
During that time, I reflected on this scholarship frequently, and I was struck by the courage of the Eidt family. They speak about Kevin: who he was as a person and the impact he had in Norwalk and at Boston College. They remain involved in the organizations Kevin was a proud member of and they share about Kevin with many people who never had the privilege of meeting him. Their courage and willingness to fight the uncomfortable established the legacy of Kevin Eidt that we experience here tonight - a community united by remembering their son. I am honored to be among this community celebrating and embodying the legacy of Kevin Eidt. And as I continue on my journey to whatever places I might go, I look forward to following in the footsteps of the Eidt family, transforming loss into an enduring force of good.
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% |