 |
|
|
|
2011 Scholarship Recipient Comments
Thank you Mr. Eidt for your kind introduction. And thank you, all of you, for gathering here tonight.
The Kevin M. Eidt Memorial Scholarship Fund for me is about community. It brings to life the memory of an 18 year old young man, whose love for his family, friends, each one of you, continues to bear witness even 19 years after his passing. Your support over the years has allowed me to pursue my passions at the College of the Holy Cross, and grow in a place where service to others is rooted at the core of its mission. You have enabled me to develop my art, study in Italy, work in an auction house, challenge my learning through Honors research, deepen my Catholic faith, and be moved by the overwhelming experience of community I have been blessed to know. Tonight, I’d like to share with you three of these communities that because of this fund, I have been blessed to be a part of.
My sophomore year I spent one week in New Mexico, on a Spring Break immersion trip to build homes on the Navajo frontier. I arrived at the reservation so impressed by the interactions there. Conversations were savored. Life slowed down. I met a woman selling handmade jewelry on a side street for the past 23 years to support her 8 children. Our mission was to construct a new home for her family. We were introduced to a 43-year old local named Eddy, short and stout, who spoke no word of English, but would help us build. Few of us really knew how to wield a sledgehammer or hammer nails straight into a 4 x 4. Yet Eddy showed us, calm and collected, sporting his white construction helmet and a smile. He became like a brother to us, cracking jokes as we jammed our fingers, always lighthearted and encouraging. You would never find Eddy without a smile. I’d like to think that’s how Kevin was too, the jokester and the prankster always cheering people up. Community thrives on that sense of encouragement.
The encouragement I found in Eddy blossomed in a new way as I spent my junior year abroad in Florence, Italy. I would finally realize my dream of living in the country of my relatives and become fluent in the language. However, being away from my loved ones in the States for so long was the greatest challenge I had yet to face. I studied at three schools, translated at an art auction house, traveled to eleven countries, but felt alone. It was not until midway through my academic year in January when I really found a home in Florence, because of a 9 year old girl named Maria. Maria’s father met me through church and asked if I would become her English tutor. They invited me over for lunch on January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany, a traditional family holiday in Italy. I shared the Sunday meal alongside her grandmother and cousins, and was welcomed as an honorary daughter into their family. I picked up Maria from school twice a week for tutoring, attended her school play, spent afternoon walks in the park with her on weekends, and played piano with her mother. Maria and her family made me feel accepted, supported, and loved.
When I returned to Holy Cross for my senior year, I struggled to adjust back to the American lifestyle. My mind was still racing in Italian as I juggled two theses for Holy Cross’ College Honors program and my fine arts seminar, led reflection groups for campus ministry, and tutored. What got me through the year was the encouragement of my 4 roommates. We affectionately called ourselves “The Sarahs” based off of a funny YouTube video of two best friends constantly falling off kayaks and laughing about it. The video became the anthem of our senior year: we felt like we were falling off kayaks at every misstep, then laughing at ourselves crying “Sarah help me!” when we needed a shoulder to lean on. We made a point of cooking together, adventuring on “roommate excursions,” and creating a wall of motivational sticky notes when one of us was studying for an exam. We learned to be each other’s safety nets, an oasis of support.
Two weeks before our graduation, one of my dear roommates lost her father unexpectedly to a heart attack. He was a Holy Cross alum, a track runner, a top neurologist, a family man, and my roommate’s #1 idol. Everything stopped in our little lives at that moment. Little do you know precious time until life steals it away with the click of a telephone.
The last two weeks before graduation were bittersweet. We held our dear roommate while trying to celebrate all that we had accomplished over the last four years. I had finally become fluent in the language that I loved, exhibited my art, finished my thesis, served in campus ministry, and above all formed friendships that would last beyond the gates of Holy Cross. Whether in New Mexico, Florence, or my senior apartment, these communities offered me the encouragement I needed when life proved difficult. Your unwavering support over the last few years has allowed me to experience love in community beyond what I could have dreamed five years ago when I stood at this podium last. I feel deeply honored that you have granted me the opportunity to graduate from Holy Cross, to receive an education that teaches selflessness over pride, hard work over pointing fingers, and dedication to the ones you love over pursuit of any accolade. I sincerely thank you for believing in me, and for enabling me to be a part of this community here, in Kevin’s loving memory.
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% |