2008 PFDW Scholarship recipients with Lt Governor Catherine Baker Knoll
Award: $1000.00 to be used during senior year.
Presented at the Memorial Scholarship Luncheon PFDW convention, June 2008, in Altoona, PA.
Katie Walters, Megan Kulish, Denelle Rae Diehl, Britteny Schneider
Missing from the picture is Elissa Chappel
Elissa Chappel of Houston attends Elizabeth College where she is a Communications/Asian Studies major with a concentration in Japanese. She works as a student lab assistant during the school year and participates in track, cross-country and the Japanese Club. Her family has a strong Democratic Party background going back over 100 years. Family members have served as committeeman and committeewoman, majority and minority inspector of elections, and elected offices include county commissioner and county sheriff. Her grandmother, Paulie Chappel, is President of the Washington Council of Democratic Women and is a member of the PFDW who has attended the last five conventions. Elissa was absent from the scholarship luncheon due to a family event and her grandmother Paulie Chappel accepted the scholarship on her behalf.
Katie Walters of Altoona is enrolled in the Occupational Therapy major at St. Francis University. In addition to a minor in Psychology, her interests include Art and Dance and membership in Phi Delta Kappa Sorority. During her freshman year spring break, she went to Louisiana to volunteer with Katrina relief. She has knocked on doors and made phone calls on behalf of Democratic candidates including most recently Barack Obama. The inspiration for her involvement in the recent primary is her aunt Lisa Ruffley who has been involved with the Blair County Democratic Party during the Kerry and Casey campaigns.
Megan Kulish from Ebensburg is currently attending the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. She is majoring in Psychology and her activities include Psychology Club, PSI CHI (the Psychology Honor Society) and volleyball. She is a registered Democrat who worked neighborhood outreach, manned phones for Democratic candidates and helped with the Democratic breakfast at her church. Her mother is a member of the Ebensburg Womens Democratic Club, chair of the Cambria County Democratic Committee and Regional Director for PFDW Dist. 13. Megan is continuing a family tradition of supporting and working for the Democratic Party.
Denelle Rae Diehl of Bedford, she attends California University majoring in Communications Disorders. Her GPA is 3.948. Her goal is to be a speech pathologist and obtain a clinical doctorate in the field of Communications Disorders. Denelle comes from a family of active Democrats. Her grandmother Edith Weyant is a PFDW Regional Director and her mother is Treasurer of the Bedford County Democratic Committee. Denelle remembers making funnel cakes at the age of 11 and has continued to volunteer in many capacities for the Democratic Party and it’s candidates.
Britteny Schneider is from Scranton. She attends East Stroudsburg University with a dual major in history and secondary education. Britteny is a member of the University Dance Company and a cheerleader for the football and basketball teams. She comes from a family of active Democrats, her grandmother Miriam Schneider is a member of the Lackawanna County Federation of Democratic Women. Brittney credits her parents and grand parents for enabling her to achieve her goals. She expressed the hope that as an educator, she might help those who do not have such a wonderful family support to achieve their dreams as well.