Students with Epilepsy Receive Scholarships for College

By Regina Reid
EpilepsyUSA Staff
Posted: August 27, 2003

Future mathematicians, researchers and artists are among the most recent recipients of the Pfizer Epilepsy Scholarship. They enter the fall semester with an additional $3,000 toward their expenses, thanks to Pfizer Inc.

Now in its ninth year, the Pfizer Epilepsy Scholarship is awarded annually to 16 students who have moved beyond the physical limitations of epilepsy and hold the promise of continued excellence in the pursuit of higher education.

Bethany Jackson was a senior at John T. Hoggard High School in Wilmington, N.C., when she applied for the scholarship. After all she’d been through to finish high school, she wasn’t about to let finances deter her goals of going to college.

Jackson, now 18, had a life-threatening bout of viral encephalitis shortly after starting her freshman year. She missed several months of school and returned to class battling seizures and learning disabilities.

She nevertheless graduated in the top of her class, having determined to do whatever it took to reach her academic goals.

“I took extra courses through community college, independent studies and the Internet,” Jackson said of her academic recovery plan. “I spent hours every week after school with tutors and teachers for extra help.”

Her tenacity paid off: Jackson received scholastic awards each year in recognition of her outstanding grades, and still found time to participate in community activities.

Jackson hopes to further develop her interest in Marine Science in college.

While many of the scholarship recipients are high school seniors entering college, students pursuing graduate level degrees are also eligible.

One such student is Christopher Trindade. Trindade, 22, was an undergraduate investigator at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Penn., with an avid interest in science and research. He applied for the scholarship to help with the costs of earning dual M.D. and Ph.D degrees in the field of Neurobiology.

Since having his first seizure in the second grade, Trindade has experienced the doubt of others who thought his goals in medicine were unattainable because of his seizure disorder.

“While many people discouraged me, my parents gave me the hope, support and encouragement I needed to succeed,” he said. “They taught me to accept my disorder and be proud of who I am, and that I can achieve anything I want no matter what challenges I face.”

Trindade has already experienced success as a researcher through various fellowships and research programs, but he is no less proud of his work in the Dean of Students Office at Lehigh, where he was able to help students with various learning and physical disabilities.

“I have realized that people with disorders will hide them because they are ashamed or afraid they will be looked down upon or treated differently,” he said. “I worked with these students to teach them to be proud of who they are and not let their disabilities get in the way of achieving their dreams.

“In a sense, I have taken everything my parents have taught me and used their lessons to better the lives of others.”

To qualify for the Pfizer Epilepsy Scholarship, a student must be under a physician’s care for epilepsy and must submit an application with two letters of recommendation (including one from the physician) and verification of academic status.

For more information about the scholarship, call (800) AWARD-PF, write Pfizer Epilepsy Scholarship Award, c/o The Eden Communications Group, 515 Valley St., Suite 200, Maplewood NJ, or visit www.epilepsy-scholarship.com.