Adomauskaite was celebrated at the awards ceremony, held Oct. 2.
AGNE ADOMAUSKAITE / LINKEDIN.COM
Barbara Vasquez, Production / Web Editor
On Thursday, Oct. 2, the second annual John L. Paluszek Scholarship was awarded to senior Agne Adomauskaite, a public health and business major.
This scholarship offers $10,000 to first generation college students in the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences [KSAS], who exhibit, “exemplary community service and civil engagement,” according to manhattan.edu.
The scholarship came to fruition last year after co-chairs Mehnaz Afridi, Ph.D., and Heidi Laudien, Ph.D., initially thought of hosting a ‘KSAS gala’, which entailed inviting alumni back to campus who were interested in celebrating retiring faculty.
They reached out to alumnus John Paluszek ‘55, who then expressed interest in creating a scholarship, “to shine a light on those students who are driven to succeed academically in any of the liberal arts, realize the importance of giving back to their communities, and understand the special challenges of a first-generation college student,” according to manhattan.edu
The scholarship recipient is chosen by the John L. Paluszek Scholarship Committee, which includes Paluszek himself, Afridi and Laudien, as well as committee members Deirdre O’Leary, Ph.D., and Brian Chalk, Ph.D. Applicants are asked to send in a short essay application with details of their recent activities, as well as signing an agreement to become an ambassador for KSAS/first generation students and participate during Accepted Students Days.
Of the entire applicant pool, Adomauskaite stood out to the committee, particularly due to her experience as a resident assistant at MU and her previous volunteer work. This, alongside her excellence in academics, impressed committee members.
Paluszek shared a statement with The Quadrangle further detailing Adomauskaite’s fit with the scholarship.
“Our family is delighted to recognize the impressive achievements and admirable ambition of an outstanding student, Agne Adomauskaite,” Paluszek wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “Agne has excelled in academics and also in being an outstanding “good citizen’’ of MU, by undertaking co-curricular and extra-curricular activities beneficial to many on campus and beyond… She is truly on a path to a meaningful life. It is a joy to assist a bit along the way.”
Outside of her application, it was Adomauskaite’s upbringing and character that pushed her to the forefront of the committee’s minds. As a successful first-generation American descended from Lithuanian immigrants, she truly embodied what the scholarship recipient is meant to represent.
“Her story was touching because it really is an immigrant story, and she’s lived it,” Laudien said. “She’s just such a hard worker that her application really stood out. She truly exceeded what we were looking for in terms of outside involvements, and she was just really overall an impressive candidate.”
O’Leary, who taught Adomauskaite in a class, was able to testify for her character from her personal experience.
“She, quite simply, is the kind of student who makes every classroom better through her presence, her sharp observations, her generous contributions in class, her ability to listen to her colleagues and then offer valuable insight and criticism,” O’Leary said. “I only taught her once, but as soon as I saw the application, I smiled and said ‘I know exactly who this is.’”
Apart from the financial stipend, committee members hope that Adomauskaite will be positively impacted by receiving this scholarship and will help nurture the evolution of it for future recipients.
“I have every confidence that this will continue to be meaningful to her,” Chalk said. “ I hope that the way in which education can have a wonderful effect on an individual’s life will be something that she’ll look back on after she’s graduated, and she’ll still be invested in looking after students like herself in similar situations.”
Chalk continued, praising Paluszek’s generosity in establishing the scholarship in the first place, and hoping that the same sentiment gets passed down to recipients to come.
“John Paluszek has gone out into the world and become remarkably successful, but there’s still something about this place (MU) that represents a part of him that he wants to pass down,” Chalk said. “We’re hoping that Agne feels the same, and that all the winners of the scholarship feel the same way, and that this place will continue to matter to them.”
As the scholarship continues to grow past its second year, the committee hopes it evolves more and more with each winner. According to a post from Adomauskaite’s LinkedIn account, she shares the same hopes.
“I can’t wait to witness Mr. Paluszek’s award bring together a network of first-generation college students who have overcome countless silent obstacles, and I’m deeply honored to be part of its start,” Adomauskaite wrote.