(SANDUSKY) — Sandusky graduate Rosalia Abraham is this year’s recipient of the Samczyk-Ball Pay It Forward Scholarship, which awards $20,000 over 4-years to a Sandusky High School student who most exemplifies the spirit of determination and service to others. The scholarship is currently the largest such award available in Sanilac County. Rosalia was an editor for the yearbook and was a 4-year member of the volleyball team. While attending school full-time, she also worked 20-30 hours a week as a waitress and sales associate. Despite her already full schedule, she took every opportunity to give back to her community through volunteer activities, such as raising money to fight homelessness, helping to buy furnaces for low-income families, and increasing awareness about autism. Rosalia plans to attend Saginaw Valley State University in the fall to major in Biology and minor in chemistry with a special focus on cyber-security. The scholarship was established in 2014 by Traci Samczyk, a 1984 Sandusky graduate, and her partner Abby Dees in honor of Traci’s parents Ed and Elaine Samczyk. Ed was the former manager of Jerry’s Foodland and Elaine worked for many years at Mavis Furniture in Sandusky. Traci now lives in Los Angeles, California. The first recipient of the Samczyk-Ball Pay It Forward Scholarship was Jared Sanderson, who is currently enrolled at Michigan State University.
