Scholarships Amounting $152,500 Awarded at Union Hall

AUGUST 7 — Carrying on a 15-year tradition, TWU Local 100 leadership, along with executives from M3 Technology, presented scholarship awards to 58 college students, the vast majority children of active members. M3 provides insurance products and benefits to union members.

Track Worker Shannon Poland, who coordinates the awards events, introduced President John V. Chiarello, who greeted the roomful of students and their proud parents.

“Some of us, including me, chose to learn a trade,” he said. “But for those pursuing higher education, we support you 100 percent – and then some. Whatever your passion is, whatever your calling – go for it, and don’t look back,” said Chiarello. “Make sure you thank your parents,” he told the scholars, “they have sacrificed more than you’ll ever know. Your success is our success.”

John Pescitelli, President of M3 Technology, said that, since the inception of the program, more than 684 children, grandchildren, members and spouses of union members have received over $1.1 million in scholarships.

He spoke of his own experience growing up with a father who worked in a warehouse who didn’t want him to do unskilled work. “He started me on the path to working with union members to provide some additional security in their times of need,” he said.

Pescitelli then paused and called for a moment of silence to commemorate the August 6 anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in which 100,000 died.

“We are hopeful that one of you will lead the way to new discoveries like a cure for the dread disease of cancer, or maybe you will help in removing nuclear weapons from this world,” he concluded.

Each scholarship is awarded for an academic year of study, and union members, their children, grandchildren, and spouses are eligible to apply for successive years. Applications are available on the TWU Local 100 website.

Award winners are selected at random. Top winners were Tamia Jackson, the daughter of TA Surface Bus Operator Shatima Jackson and Danil Ermolin, son of Car Inspector Yuriy Ermolin, who each won $10,000 scholarships. Mariam Qandeel, daughter of Ghadban Moghrabi, Division Chair at PBL/School Buses, won a $5,000 scholarship.

Also winning $5,000 scholarships were Madison Thompson, daughter of CTA Hassena Singleton, Naomi Evans, daughter of CTA Mark Evans, Jacob Cruz, son of Train Operator Silvio Cruz, Briana McCollum, daughter of Station Agent Cherise Liesdek, and Isabella Santos, daughter of TA Surface Bus Operator David Santos.

The winner of the Garrett Goble Award, honoring the memory of the Train Operator who died saving the lives of passengers in 2020, was Tania Susan Williams, daughter of RTO Tower Operator Anthony Williams. That scholarship is worth $2,500.