Vietnam Moving Wall Scholarships awarded in Waverly

Vietnam Moving Wall Scholarships awarded BY THE REVIEW)
Published: June 25, 2010

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Submitted Photo The 2010 Vietnam Moving Wall Award recipients, from left, are Rachel Polinski, Peter Eller and Kristen Wildenstein.

Three students, two from Bradford County and one from Tioga County, N.Y., were recently awarded the Vietnam Moving Wall Award at a ceremony at the Waverly VFW.

The $500 scholarships, sponsored by the Vietnam Moving Wall Committee and co-sponsored by the Waverly VFW and Waverly American Legion, have been awarded each year for 12 years now, according to Waverly VFW Commander Mike Hughes.

The scholarship fund began after the Vietnam Moving Wall, a mobile replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., was brought to Waverly in 1998. Community support for the project to bring the wall to Waverly - so that those who couldn't make the trip to Washington could have a chance to see it - was so great that organizers ended up with a large sum of money after the wall had been taken down.

They decided to do more with that money, and established a scholarship fund available to the sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of veterans. Since then, the fund has received additional support and continues to grow.

The scholarships are awarded to students from the three counties involved in bringing the wall to Waverly: Chemung County and Tioga County in New York and Bradford County in Pennsylvania. No applications from students in Chemung County were received this year.

According to information provided by Hughes:

Receiving the award in Tioga County, N.Y., this year was Kristen Wildenstein from Candor High School. Her grandfather, Gerald Wildenstein, was a 20-year veteran of the Air Force. Kristen plans on attending RIT to major in civil engineering technology and minor in environmental studies. She would like to become a civil engineer and design eco-friendly buildings and structures.

Also receiving a Moving Wall Scholarship was Peter Eller from Sayre High School. Eller has two veteran grandfathers, Richard Elgar, who was a Korean War Veteran, serving two years in the Army; and Pete Hazzero, who served three years in the army. Eller plans to attend St. Bonaventure University and major in business and eventually pursue a career in financial analysis and consulting.

Also receiving a scholarship from Sayre High School was Rachel Polinski, whose veteran family members include her father, Daniel Polinski, a 41-year veteran of the U.S. Army; and her two grandfathers, John Polinski Jr., a 4-year army veteran, and Robert Havin, a 7-year army veteran.

She plans on attending Ursinus College to major in chemistry/biochemistry. Her long-term goals include going to medical school to become a pediatric endocrinologist to help young children and adults with diabetes.

In a speech presented at the ceremony, Hughes said: "To all of the recipients of this year's awards, I'd like to congratulate you and wish you all the best. All I ask of you is to always remember that all of these young men and young women's names who are on that wall never got the chance to have the opportunities that you are about to have. But more importantly, the reason you have these opportunities is because of the sacrifices these young men and women made."

Hughes continued: "Please take advantage of these opportunities and be successful in your lives, and hopefully some day you will be doing something like we are doing here, in your community, and helping others become successful."

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