First, the HDSA and the NYA Adult Advisors are ELATED to announce that the National Youth Alliance [NYA] 2008 Convention Scholarship Fund will be sending TWENTY-FIVE members of the NYA to the HDSA national convention in Pittsburgh this June!!! This would not have been possible if it weren't for all the efforts by the members of the NYA through their dedication to raising money for this fund throughout the year AND the help of some of the HDSA Chapters who have budgeted money to support the HDSA NYA Convention Scholarship Fund. A BIG thank you goes out to the NW Chapter in Washington this year, their contribution helped send at least 4 of the 25 winners!
This years scholarship winners are shown below. However, because almost $17,000.00 was used to provide full scholarships now the fund has almost ZERO dollars in it for the 2009 NYA scholarships. This is where YOU can help! The NYA members have started collecting items for the 2008 Silent Auction and your help is needed. The HDSA has provided information on how you can help on this link: http://www.hdsa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=silent_auction
Young adults from HD families are encouraged download the Silent Auction Flyer form on the above HDSA link to use to approach local merchants, restaurants, etc. to obtain items for the auction. The flyer introduces you and provides you with a letter of introduction from Barbara Boyle as well as the tax form to provide the donor. Families are encouraged to download and share the Silent Auction Letter you can use to share with your co-workers, family, etc. All young adults are also challenged to plan small fund raising throughout the year in their own communities to help raise money for their scholarship fund. A good example is NYA member Amada Rinkle who plans to donate the money they raise from their May 3rd HD Walk-Hotcakes for HD event [see http://www.firstgiving.com/amandarinkelcurehd] in Indiana to the 2009 NYA Convention Scholarship!
If you're unable to bring or send an item for the 2008 NYA Silent Auction, won't you please consider making a small on-line donation to their fund? Every single dollar will help send young adults from HD families to the HDSA National Convention in 2009! For almost half of this year's winners this will be their first national convention. If you could read just a handful of their essays on why attending a convention is important to them that all 25 winners wrote, you'd understand why it so important for all of us to try to help them to a convention if we can! Safe and secure on-line donations to the HDSA NYA Convention Scholarship Fund can be made here: www.hdsa.org/nya
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2008 NYA CONVENTION SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS and THANK YOU
to all of you, including the HDSA, who have contributed to the NYA or helped the fund by supporting the NYA!
Your NYA Adult Advisors
Jean Miller, Sue & Dave Hodgson
The 2008 NYA Convention Scholarship Winners:
NYA Member/State
1. Adams, April AZ
2. Crowell, Melinda WA
3. Curnow, Stephanie NJ
4. deFelice, Chantal CA
5. Fajardo, Ashley CA
6. Fogleson, Dana FL
7. Harrell, Cathy [Colyer] TX
8. Harrell, Curtis TX
9. Houston, Staci [Nicholas] KS
10. Kohlmeyer, Casey IL
11. Kohlmyer-Lunsford, Linelle IL
12. Leck, Bob IL
13. Maher, Melinda CT
14. Montgomery, Tim MO
15. Mukka, Erica MI
16. Mukka, Jacey MI
17. Mukka, Karli MI
18. Nash-Pittman, Elizabeth OH
19. Nicholas, Scott KS
20. Otts, Andrea OK
21. Reynolds, Jake WI
22. Rinkel, Amanda IN
23. Rinkel, James IN
24. Wagner, Melinda MO
25. Wagner, Tabitha MO
1. Adams, April AZ
2. Crowell, Melinda WA
3. Curnow, Stephanie NJ
4. deFelice, Chantal CA
5. Fajardo, Ashley CA
6. Fogleson, Dana FL
7. Harrell, Cathy [Colyer] TX
8. Harrell, Curtis TX
9. Houston, Staci [Nicholas] KS
10. Kohlmeyer, Casey IL
11. Kohlmyer-Lunsford, Linelle IL
12. Leck, Bob IL
13. Maher, Melinda CT
14. Montgomery, Tim MO
15. Mukka, Erica MI
16. Mukka, Jacey MI
17. Mukka, Karli MI
18. Nash-Pittman, Elizabeth OH
19. Nicholas, Scott KS
20. Otts, Andrea OK
21. Reynolds, Jake WI
22. Rinkel, Amanda IN
23. Rinkel, James IN
24. Wagner, Melinda MO
25. Wagner, Tabitha MO