The Foreign Service Journal, March 2013

60 MARCH 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 2012 AFSA ANNUAL REPORT AFSA NEWS AFSA Scholarship Program: A Busy Year BY LORI DEC, SCHOLARSHIP DIRECTOR The AFSA Scholarship Program had a busy and successful year under the direction of the AFSA Scholarship Committee, chaired by Ambassador Lange Schermerhorn. Other commit- tee members were: Deborah Odell (retired State representa- tive), Jenae Johnson (active-duty State rep), Mark Petry (FAS rep), Yvette Malcioln (USAID rep), Joyce Namde (AFSA Gov- erning Board liaison), Anne Cekuta (AAFSW rep) and Andrew Winter (ex-officio AFSA Governing Board rep). Through their hard work, and that of the AFSA Governing Board, more than $225,000 in scholarships and awards was bestowed on 99 children of Foreign Service employees. Please visit www.afsa. org/scholar f or program details. 2012 Highlights: • In January, Amb. Lange Schermerhorn was approved as the chairman of the AFSA Scholarship Committee. • The estate of Mr. Daniel Kiang established the Kiang for Excellence Financial Aid Scholarship, a six-figure planned gift. • Mrs. Laurence Flannery established an annual financial aid scholarship in the name of her late husband, Terence Flan- nery. • Ruth Nay Skiles established the Victor H. Skiles Memorial and Ruth Nay Skiles Financial Aid Scholarship in perpetuity. • Previously established perpetual or annual financial aid scholarships benefited from additional funding from six pri- vate donors or support from their donor contacts. • By making a substantial donation, an anonymous donor took the lead in establishing an AFSA financial aid scholarship in tribute to the U.S. diplomatic personnel killed in the Beng- hazi terrorist attacks. • The program implemented an online student application form and judge scoring system for the AFSA art and academic merit awards. • Academic and Art Merit Awards, ranging from $500 to $2,000 each, were given to 26 Foreign Service high school seniors, totaling $40,500. • After obtaining a legal opinion, the AFSA Governing Board approved changing the scholarship application criteria for Foreign Service youth, effective in the 2013-2014 school year. Only children of Foreign Service AFSA members are now eligible to apply for AFSA scholarships. • Seventy-three students received undergraduate financial aid scholarships ranging from $500 to $4,000 each, for the 2012-2013 school year, totaling $186,600. • New advertisements were developed for the scholarship program’s planned giving outreach. n Left to right: Maria Giuseppa Spigler congratulates merit winner Basil Smitham and his family. Scholarship Program Staff: Scholarship Assistant Jonathan Crawford and Scholarship Director Lori Dec. PHOTOSBYDONNAAYERST