2011 Winners of the Thomas Samuels Scholarship for Deaf Students
The Division of Adult and Continuing Education’s Program for Deaf Adults (PDA) has awarded Alice Obeng and Karen Romano, students par excellence, the 2011 Thomas Samuels Scholarship for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The award, which is given in honor of Thomas Samuels, a treasured PDA Assistant Director and Media Specialist who retired in 2002, assists students with basic school expenses, such as tuition and books.
Alice Obeng, a Mental Health major, says she sees herself “working with [Deaf and hard-of-hearing] people in the mental health field and becoming a social worker, because I love to help people.”
Karen Romano, a Liberal Arts major, was awarded her scholarship in honor of Dorothy Pakula, LaGuardia’s first Deaf graduate and PDA’s first Coordinator of Tutorial Services, who passed away a year ago. “My exposure to unequal education [before coming to LaGuardia] jumpstarted my passion to become a special education teacher. Children with multiple disabilities inspire me,” she says.
Both Alice and Karen are heading to Hunter College where they will pursue their career goals. Congratulations, Alice and Karen!