This student is industrious and entrepreneurial in spirit, working hard to leave her mark with research and advocacy surrounding disabilities and economics studies. She is well on her way to making a big difference in the world and we are thrilled to award her the 2021 Flora Marie Jenkins Memorial Disability Scholarship.
Elisa Shaholli
Elisa Shaholli was diagnosed with Type I diabetes when she was 11 years old. The diagnosis came as quite a shock to Elisa and her loved ones because she was the only person in her family to have such a diagnosis. However, her experiences growing up with diabetes and the current work she does with disability studies now motivate her to help others.
Elisa is our 2021 Flora Marie Jenkins Memorial Disability Scholarship winner. She’s an economics major at the University of Connecticut (UConn) and also studies English and global studies. Thanks to the support of a mentor at UConn, Elisa has been able to create an independent disabilities studies research project and hopes to catapult her knowledge into a career as an economist with a focus on disability issues.
Throughout her research and in conversations she has with those who have disabilities, Elisa has discovered that one of the biggest challenges for those with other abilities is getting or keeping a job. They often fear disclosing their disability on an application, Elisa explains, despite laws that protect them from discrimination.
“You are protected from discrimination with disability laws, and you know there are provisions out there, but … they’re are not as good as they can be,” Elisa says.
As she continues her journey with disability advocacy and economics studies, Elisa hopes to study abroad to gain a greater understanding of the global scale in which the economy and disabilities are intertwined. With the help of our scholarship, Elisa says this dream becomes a closer reality.
“Thank you to Marc Whitehead for this scholarship,” Elisa says. “It really makes a difference. I’m grateful to be picked because it’s a huge honor. “
When she isn’t focused on how he will change the world, Elisa likes to crochet and knit with her mom. (They have even discussed opening an Etsy shop!)
She’s also a big young adult fiction reader, and she hopes to turn that passion into a book that intertwines diabetes into it. Elisa’s passion for helping others and using her platform to change the world is empowering to our team. We are honored to support her educational journey, and every year, we have the privilege of helping other young students like Elisa make their career dreams a reality through our scholarship programs. We cannot wait to help more students.
And we’re happy to announce that will be happening soon! Our 2022–2023 scholarships are now open for applications. Every year, we award $5,000 to two students through the Frances & Earl Perry Memorial Veterans Scholarship and the Flora Marie Jenkins Memorial Disability Scholarship. Each scholarship honors the lives and sacrifices made by three very special people in Marc Whitehead’s life.
The Frances & Earl Perry Memorial Veterans Scholarship is given to a veteran or college-bound child of a military veteran, honoring the lives of Marc’s late aunt and uncle, Frances and Earl Perry. The Perrys raised Marc while his mom was attending law school, and Earl was a military veteran who was released as a disabled veteran. It was his Uncle Earl’s struggles to obtain proper disability insurance that inspired Marc’s career and this firm.
The Flora Marie Jenkins Memorial Disability Scholarship is awarded to students who have overcome the adversity of a disability and is a tribute to Marc’s mother-in-law, Flora Marie. She passed away when Marc’s wife, Tina, was just 18 years old, but her positive spirit and dedication to others was heavily felt by all who loved her.
Our team has championed the traits of Frances and Earl Perry and Flora Marie Jenkins. It’s powerful to see the ways in which their legacies continue through the students we award scholarships to. Thank you to those who have applied and those who continue to support our community endeavors.
You can learn more about our scholarships and other resources online at College Scholarship.
Terms and Conditions:
Entry materials will not be returned to you. By submitting an entry for the Flora Marie Jenkins Memorial Disability Scholarship, you acknowledge that if you become a scholarship recipient, Marc Whitehead & Associates will own all rights to publish and promote the submission.
Publicity:
All applicants agree that they consent to the use of their name and city/state of residence, as well to the use of their likeness (as in a photograph) and award information.
Marc Whitehead & Associates’ RIGHT TO MODIFY, SUSPEND OR TERMINATE. In the event Marc Whitehead & Associates is prevented from continuing with the Scholarship Program by any event beyond its reasonable control, then Marc Whitehead & Associates shall have the right in its sole discretion to modify or terminate the Scholarship Program.
