Misnick Scholarship at SUNY Potsdam Now Available for Corning-Painted Post Seniors

POTSDAM, NY (11/02/2015)(readMedia)-- Thanks to the generosity of a local resident and long-time teacher, Corning-Painted Post High School students who are interested in attending SUNY Potsdam starting in Fall 2016 are eligible for a $1,000 per year scholarship.

Gloria Baz Misnick of Corning established the Gloria Baz Misnick Scholarship in 2006 to support a Corning-Painted Post student with financial need who wishes to attend SUNY Potsdam.

To be eligible, students must have earned a minimum high school cumulative grade point average of 85. Students must also be eligible for financial aid, which is established after the prospective recipient files the FAFSA form, available after Jan. 1 each year. First preference will be given to students who plan to major in education at SUNY Potsdam. Second preference will be given to eligible candidates regardless of major.

To be considered for the scholarship, students must apply to SUNY Potsdam by April 15, 2016. The recipient will be chosen by SUNY Potsdam, in consultation with the guidance office at the high school.

The endowed scholarship is renewable annually for four years, as long as the recipient maintains a minimum 3.0 grade-point average.

Misnick, a 1955 graduate of SUNY Potsdam, created the scholarship in February 2006 to help students in the Corning area who might not otherwise be able to attend SUNY Potsdam. The former Gloria Baz earned her Bachelor of Science degree with certification in elementary education in 1955, and later her Master of Science in education, also from SUNY Potsdam, in 1964.

Misnick taught elementary and middle school students in the Corning School District for 38 years before retiring in 1995. She and her husband, William J. Misnick Sr., a graduate of Clarkson University in Potsdam, are actively involved in numerous charitable and civic activities. As past co-chairs of the Lviv, Ukraine Committee of the Corning Sister Cities Association, the Misnicks have adopted the Lviv Specialized Children's Hospital, where they established the William and Gloria Misnick Diabetic Clinic. Dedicated in 2004, the clinic treats children living with diabetes, as well as suffering from cancer resulting from the Chernobyl disaster. Since adopting the hospital in 1999, more than 4,500 pounds of humanitarian aid has been provided to children at the hospital. The Misnicks have also established UTOS Library (Ukrainian Community of the Blind) in Lviv, where they have sent seven tons of Braille and large print books. The two-year project was completed in 2005.

In addition to the hospital and library, the Misnicks also adopted School 4 in Lviv in 2004 by sending books for visually impaired students. For 50 years, School 4 has specialized in teaching English to Lviv students. They are on the Guidance Council Board at School 4. The Misnicks also sponsored the award-winning high school musical group Zabava through the Corning Sister Cities, Lviv, Ukraine Committee. The group performed in Corning, Elmira and Johnson City in 2005.

In 2004, Mrs. Misnick assisted in forming the first Lions Club International in Lviv and the sixth in Ukraine, sponsored by the Corning Lions Club and the Poznan, Poland Lions Clubs. The Misnicks attended Charter Night in Lviv, and Mrs. Misnick was chosen to sing "The Star Spangled Banner" at the Lviv Opera House for the celebration.

Mrs. Misnick is a member and active participant in the Steuben County Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). She is also past delegate to the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) Elmira Heights Chapter at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, where she also sings. Mrs. Misnick is president of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Catholic War Veterans Post 1178 in Elmira Heights, N.Y. Her husband William is the Post Second Vice Commander. Mr. and Mrs. Misnick also volunteer at the Bath Veterans Hospital, where she also sings with the hospital band.

For more information about the Gloria Baz Misnick Scholarship, please contact Kelly Crosbie, scholarship coordinator at SUNY Potsdam, at (315) 267-2162.

To learn more about financial aid at SUNY Potsdam, visit www.potsdam.edu/admissions/financial.

To find out about the College's teacher education programs, which go back to the institution's founding nearly 200 years ago, visit the website for SUNY Potsdam's School of Education and Professional Studies, at www.potsdam.edu/academics/SOEPS.

Founded in 1816, and located on the outskirts of the beautiful Adirondack Park, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges. SUNY Potsdam currently enrolls approximately 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its handcrafted education, challenging liberal arts and sciences core, excellence in teacher training and leadership in the performing and visual arts. Empowered by a culture of creativity, the campus community recently launched Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, which aims to raise $32 million by the College's bicentennial in 2016.

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