Two Students Awarded Deerfield Park Foundation Scholarships

The Deerfield Park Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2014 Linda Gryziecki College / Post-Secondary Scholarships. Two, $1,000 scholarships were available this year, one for a graduating high school senior and one for a current college student in their first, second or third year. Erin Kastar won in the high school senior category and Nichole Beckman won in the college-age group. The awards will be presented in a ceremony at the beginning of the Deerfield Park Foundation’s next board meeting at Jewett Park Community Center, in Deerfield, on Monday, July 21, 2014, at 7:00 p.m.

Erin Kastar, who plans to pursue a career in Child Psychology, has worked as a camp counselor at Deerfield Park District’s Sun ‘n’ Fun Camp with four-year olds, since 2012. She was co-captain of her Relay for Life team (supporting cancer research) and has been involved with the event since 2011. Kastar, who currently lives in Gurnee, was also an active member of Future Business Leaders of America during high school

Nichole Beckman has worked with Deerfield Park District for the past six years. She began as a camp counselor working with children 4 to 12 years of age and for 2014 will serve as Co-Director of the Sun ‘n’ Fun Camp. Beckman assumed the lead role in the district’s June Safety Town program, involving more than 80 participants. She has also been a swim instructor here in Deerfield as well as at other locations. Beckman, of Wildwood, will enter her junior year at the University of Wisconsin – Platteville, to pursue a career as a Child Psychologist. 

The Scholarship is named after Linda Gryziecki who retired as Deerfield Park District’s Executive Director in 2011 after serving the District for 38 years. The Scholarship was started in 2012 with a single category of high school graduates and college students alike competing for the $1,000 scholarship. (The 2012 recipient was Callie Wilbat). Thanks in large part to the generous support of Whole Foods Market Deerfield, whose 2012 “5% Community Giving Day” generated nearly $3,500 in funding for these scholarships, along with generous donations by Linda Gryziecki, Deerfield Park District board members and other individuals, two separate categories were able to be launched for 2013, one for graduating high school seniors (Alyssha Glass, recipient) and one for current college students (Mark Stern, recipient).

Selections are based on a combination of criteria including work and/or volunteer experience, community service, a minimum of a 3.0 out of 4.0 cumulative grade point average, application form submission with essay and letters of recommendation, and, for semi-finalists, an interview with a committee of Deerfield Park Foundation Directors. This year, Scholarship Committee Co-Chairs Chris Goodsnyder and Vicki Street, along with other Foundation Board Members Dan Appelbaum, Dan Leuthner and John Mann, served on the Committee. 

On Monday, July 21, Kastar and Beckman will receive their awards at the regular Deerfield Park Foundation meeting at 7:00 p.m., at Jewett Park Community Center. The recipients were invited to bring family and friends to the presentation which will be made by Linda Gryziecki. The Deerfield Park Board of Commissioners was instrumental in bringing these scholarships to fruition.

The Linda Gryziecki Scholarship is administered through the Deerfield Park Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Deerfield Park District, supporting programs and services, including: Grants-In-Aid for residents in serious financial need to attend Deerfield Park District programs; projects such as Deerfield’s ThorGuard Lightning Predication System, Recycling Containers for parks and park/school locations; the Linda Gryziecki College Scholarships and more.

The Foundation thanks all of the candidates who applied for this year’s Scholarships, congratulates them on all their fine accomplishments to date, and wishes them all the very best in the years to come. The Foundation plans to continue to offer the Linda Gryziecki Scholarships for the 2015-16 school year. Next year’s application process is expected to begin in March, 2015. To contribute to the Linda Gryziecki Scholarship or for more information about the Deerfield Park Foundation, please visit www.deerfieldparkfoundation.org, email: info@dfpd, or call 847-572-2611.