Dan and Tracy Aunkst
The Elizabeth M. DeFeo Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Dan Aunkst’s aunt, Betty DeFeo, who had a love of learning and a belief in education. Dan got the idea for establishing the scholarship from a co-worker, Agatha Pyskadlo, who had established a scholarship in memory of her daughter, Aimee.
Dan serves on the Foundation Board of Directors and both he and his wife Tracy serve on the scholarship committee which reviews applications.
Impact
Following Agatha’s lead, Dan and Tracy established the criteria for the scholarship to be awarded to a full-time matriculated student with a GPA between 2.5 and 3.5 and a strong determination to succeed academically. Not every student is high achieving, and Dan and Tracy wanted to support and encourage a student who may not have the best grades. That support and encouragement is what Dan received from his Aunt Betty, so this scholarship is a fitting tribute to an amazing woman.