In honor of Dr. Pesola's life and values, the Dr. Thomas N. Pesola Memorial Scholarship fund will provide scholarships to diabetic (type I or type II) Massachusetts residents who are:

• seeking further education, or
  
• attending diabetes-related education workshops or children's camps
  

The amount of the scholarship will be based on the quality of the applicants and their demonstrated financial need, and the amount of income generated by the fund. The minimum award will be $1,000. 

Criteria

Applicants seeking scholarships for further education must meet the following eligibility requirements in order to qualify for the scholarship:

• Diagnosis of type I or type II diabetes;
  
• Attendance at/graduation from a Massachusetts high school;
• Minimum cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (through first semester of senior year);
• Demonstrated involvement in extracurricular activities (sports, student clubs, community service, etc.);
• Completed application form, including essay and letters of recommendation.
  

Essay Topic

"Sisu" is a Finnish term that translates roughly to "fortitude" or "perseverance." This theme characterized Dr. Pesola's life, as he faced adversity in various forms throughout his life--medical, personal, and financial--and turned the challenges into opportunities for growth. In an essay of no more than 500 words, demonstrate that you have "sisu." What is the greatest challenge that you have faced thus far? How did you respond to this obstacle? What did you learn from the experience?

Letters of Recommendation

Please submit two letters of recommendation with your scholarship application. These letters could be the same as those included with your college application, or your recommenders might comment specifically on how you demonstrate "sisu."

Note: We advise applicants to spend some time on the website learning about who Dr. Pesola was before completing the essay and submitting their application.

Deadline: Materials must be received by Friday, April 15, 2011. The recipient will be notified by May 13. Please note that we might request an interview between these dates if needed.

To download an application, click here.

The scholarship committee will decide how to disperse the awards. The 2010-2011 committee consists of the following people:
Ms. Joan Pesola
Ms. Kirstin Pesola-McEachern
Ms. Kara Pesola
Mr. Brendan McEachern
Mr. Scott Booth
Ms. Patricia Chisholm
Ms. Robin Doherty
Ms. Jenna Hebert
Dr. Colleen Kigin
Mr. Jamie Mannion
Dr. Arthur Schwartz
Mr. Joseph Tevald