MLB Players Trust Announces First Recipients of Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies
New York, NY, Thursday, February 19, 2015 … The Major League Baseball Players Trust today announced its first recipients of the Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies, established by Major Leaguers to honor the life and work of the Major League Baseball Players Association's late executive director.
The 2015 Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies recipients are:
[Name/Hometown/School]
John Ertl - Park Falls, WI - University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Julie Gilgoff - New York, NY - CUNY School of Law
Sarah David Heydemann - Montclair, NJ - Northeastern University School of Law
Joseph Landry - New Ipswich, NH - Columbia Law School
Akasha Perez - San Jose, CA - Howard University School of Law
These five outstanding individuals, selected from more than 90 applicants, are being honored for their demonstrated commitment to pursuing careers dedicated to improving the lives of workers. Each recipient will receive a $10,000 scholarship from the Players Trust to help defray some of their academic costs.
"Michael would be pleased and proud of the quality of character and level of compassion demonstrated by each applicant," stated Diane Margolin, Weiner's wife and a member of the scholarship review committee. "Each of our winners has clearly demonstrated a strong commitment to protecting and improving the rights of workers. Having personally reviewed each application, I am confident the labor movement will strengthen and improve over time."
Weiner spent 25 years, nearly his entire professional career, with the MLBPA working in support of the Players - past, present and future. Despite being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in August of 2012, Weiner waged an inspiring battle against his disease as he continued to work on behalf of the Players right up to the time of his passing in November 2013, at the age of 51.
To be eligible for the Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies, individuals must be Graduate or Law Students enrolled in an accredited educational institution in the United States or Canada and must have a demonstrated interest in, and wish to make a career out of, working in the labor movement and on behalf of workers' rights. To receive an award, eligible candidates must meet a combination of criteria:
· A superior academic record
· A demonstrable commitment to the labor movement
· A strong recommendation from an academic or a labor/workers' rights practitioner
· Excellent written and oral communication skills
Preference also is given to those who can demonstrate financial need through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) scores or otherwise.
The scholarship application for the 2016 Michael Weiner Scholarship for Labor Studies will be posted in June 2015, at http://playerstrust.org/programs/michael-weiner-scholarship-labor-studies/
About the Major League Baseball Players Trust
Through the Players Trust, Major Leaguers contribute their time, money and celebrity to call attention to important causes affecting the needy and to help encourage others to get involved in their own communities. Each year the Players Trust distributes more than $1.5 million in annual grants and programs, and inspires hundreds of thousands of high school students to volunteer in their communities through the Action Team national youth volunteer program. For additional information, please visit www.PlayersTrust.org and visit the Players Trust channel on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/MLBPlayersTrust. Follow the Trust on Twitter (@MLBPlayersTrust) and Instagram (mlbplayerstrust).