The Ulster County 2024 Padraig Julius Tobin Flusser Economic and Social Justice Scholarship winners are: First place ($2,000), James Lynch of Onteora High School; second place ($1,000), Wendy Zhao of New Paltz High School; third place ($500), Koby Wulfmeyer of New Paltz High School; and honorable mention ($250), Roselyn Vargas of Kingston High School.
“Each writer’s essay conveyed a passion for justice, and these recent high school graduates should be proud of their distinguished achievement,” said William Wheeler Murray, the scholarship’s administrator. “Our hope is that these students take their commitment to the next level as they pursue studies that engage themselves and their communities in meaningful work related to economic and social equality.”
Essayists were asked to compose a 500 words or less statement about their commitment to economic and social justice and how it related to their college choice and their short- and long-term goals. The essays were judged for content, relevance, clarity, originality and critical thinking, among additional attributes. Excerpts from their submissions follow.
James Lynch, who is attending Cornell University this fall at the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Applied Management to study environmental, social and governance investing, wrote: “Without a sustainable environment our world has a bleak horizon for future generations, but I will work relentlessly to make sure we correct our current self-destructive behaviors to forge a much brighter one.”
Wendy Zhao will attend the health occupations program at Ulster BOCES New Visions program to “enter the medical field, beginning as a nurse and eventually becoming a doctor. Initially, I want to be part of a team that helps people, brings equal opportunities to everyone and offers hope to those in need. Because I believe hope knows no race, no boundaries.”
Koby Wulfmeyer, now at Wheaton College, plans on becoming an occupational therapist “to help empower those living with disabilities and to advocate for awareness and appreciation for the contributions of those living with disabilities.”
Roselyn Vargas plans to study political science this fall at SUNY New Paltz. She writes, “Adversity and my commitment to social justice has given me many opportunities to step up. I am confident that I can make a meaningful contribution to creating a society where every individual, regardless of background or circumstance, can contribute.”
The scholarship is named in memory of New Paltz’s Padraig Julius Tobin Flusser, who was passionate about social and economic justice. He died of a Fentanyl overdose in 2022.
This year’s judges were March Gallagher, Ulster County comptroller, Rosendale; Crystal Middleton, director, Elting Memorial Library, New Paltz; Cheryl Benjamin, detective sergeant, Town of Ulster police department; Meghann Crawford, director data management, Siena College, Saugerties; Kristin Masson-Diedhiou, teacher, Kingston Central School District; and June Wheeler (alternate), Monticello Central School District.
For additional information, visit https://www.ulster-social-justice-scholarship.com/.
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