EMILIA CUEVAS

April 2024 - Scholarship Presentation and Benefit Dinner Dance

2019 Scholarship Recipient Comments

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Eidt family and every donor for their support of Kevin's Scholarship Fund and my education. Being selected as the recipient of the 2019 Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship was and remains an honor, one that I do not take for granted and is a part of my everyday life. I stand before you and I see a community of people in this room who live their lives inspired by Kevin's, a community of people who do everything in their power to continue the legacy left by Kevin. Tonight, I hope to be able to tell you about my undergraduate education, an experience that would not have been possible without the support of the Eidt family, the Fund's benefactors both in this room and those unable to be here tonight, and the empowerment and inspiration given to me by previous scholarship recipients.

As a high school senior, I had a very clear idea of what my life in college and beyond would look like, or so I thought. High school senior Emilia would be shocked to hear that not everything went according to the rigid four year plan that I had mapped out. She would be even more shocked to hear that what happened outside of this four year plan led to the greatest college experience and to the most fulfilling career. Tonight, I hope to give you a small glimpse into the past five years of my life, both the parts that went exactly according to plan, and the parts that I would never have imagined but am thankful happened.

When I stood up here five years ago, I planned to attend the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and I had an idea that I wanted to study Global Public Health or Nursing. This was the first part of my four year plan that went awry. In the weeks following my speech in 2019, I completed an internship at Marvin Elementary School, where I was able to observe and help in a first-grade classroom. I realized that I had a passion for being in the classroom and knew that now, I would be entering college with the intent of becoming a teacher. The second part of my plan that shifted was where I would be attending college. Receiving the Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship granted me freedom in selecting a university based on academic goals rather than financial concerns. In April 2019, I went to an admitted student day at the University of Virginia. From the second I stepped foot on UVA's grounds, I knew that this would be the place I called home for the next four years.

At this point, I had a new plan- go to the University of Virginia, apply to the Elementary Education program, earn my teaching degree, and then return to Norwalk to teach. In order to gain a semblance of control, I decided to map out every single class that I intended to take while at UVA. During my first year of college, I hit a few bumps in this plan. I was fascinated by my Child Psychology class in the fall of my first semester and adjusted my carefully mapped out course sequence to make space to take more psychology classes. I then had to readjust my plan when I took an incredibly captivating class called Trauma and the US Public School System. In this class, I learned about education policy in the United States and the need to use a trauma-informed lens to tailor instruction. I was enthralled with the idea that education is multifaceted and complex and knew that I wanted to adopt a broad perspective on education. I began to view my 4 year plan as a loose outline, giving me the flexibility to pursue double minors in Psychology and now, Global Studies in Education. This newfound flexibility in my plan allowed me to take some of the most remarkable and impactful courses of my undergraduate education, from psychology classes called “Child Psychopathology,” and “How to Build a Healthy Human Brain,” to an educational philosophy class called “What is Education For,” and another education policy class called “Poverty, Leaning, and Education Policy”.

By the end of my first year of college, I had a more open mind regarding academics and allowed myself freedom to pursue a more robust education than I had originally intended. This grace and flexibility did not, however, extend to my thinking about the extracurricular activities in which I was involved. Upon arriving at UVA, I joined extracurricular activities that I had enjoyed in high school, feeling comforted by the routine of doing familiar activities such as Club Swim and Best Buddies. It was not until I was sent home from school in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that I allowed myself space to reflect on how I wanted to invest my time. I joined a Greek Life organization, which high school Emilia would've never imagined, and realized that I derived true enjoyment from the friendships I formed in this organization and in supporting our philanthropic cause, the Walk to End Alzheimer's. I decided that going into my second year, I would apply for a leadership position within my sorority, and ended up becoming our Event planner, and eventually Chapter President. I served on our Executive Council and collaborated with National Headquarters and with the UVA office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. I would never have been able to imagine all that I learned about myself as a leader, nor would I have imagined the depth of friendship that the Greek Life community would give me. Even after graduating, I have chosen to stay involved with this organization that meant so much to my college experience, holding a volunteer position as a Collegiate Management Advisor.

After granting myself flexibility to explore interests in new extracurricular activities, I began volunteering with two programs through a local volunteer center. One program, Madison House Childcare, placed me in a local preschool, and the other, Latinx and Migrant Aid, allowed me to tutor a local first-grade student. I became an English as a Second or Other Language tutor at a local middle school, high school, and preschool, and became a tutor providing reading intervention at an afterschool reading center. I became a research assistant on two meta-analyses examining the impacts of reading interventions on childhood literacy. Lastly, I became involved with Days on the Lawn and Virginia Ambassadors, organizations that allowed me to work with the UVA Office of Admissions to help plan and facilitate the admitted student days at UVA. I found joy in sharing my UVA experience with prospective students, and eventually became co-chair of this organization. The flexibility to invest my time in new ways allowed me to find community at UVA and allowed me to build a college experience that felt rewarding and impactful.

I graduated in May of 2023 with highest honors. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a professional license to teach Elementary Education grades Pre-kindergarten through sixth. Today, I am a third grade classroom teacher in Charlottesville, Virginia at the local elementary school where I completed my student teaching. While not everything went exactly according to plan, I wouldn't change a minute of my college experience. I learned the importance of being flexible, an important lesson as I now work in a profession that requires me to adapt to the ever-changing needs of my students. I learned to give myself grace and patience when adjusting to unexpected events. Today, I know that it is okay to stray from the vision I have for myself, and even more importantly, that the best things can lie just outside of what I have planned.

To every person, business, religious institution or corporation who has donated to Kevin’s Scholarship Fund, I can’t thank you enough for your support of my educational endeavors and allowing me to graduate debt free. I truly appreciate your support and empowerment; it has shaped me into the person I am today.

About the Fund

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 13 scholarships, valued at $164,500, awarded to the class of 2023, Kevin's Fund has provided nearly $2.9 Million in financial support to 235 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
To the class of 2024   $164,500

For the 2024 – 2025 academic year, Kevin’s Fund is providing financial support to 14 students matriculating at Berklee College of Music, Boston College (2), College of William & Mary, Columbia (2), The George Washington University, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, Stanford, Temple, UConn, Univerisity of Wisconsin, and UMass-Amherst.

Scholarship Fund Accomplishments as of June 30, 2023
Recipients	235
Awards	$2,864,500
Funding as % of Contributions	99.5%