This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Friendship Senior Options Foundation Invests in Our Youth

Four exceptional graduating high school seniors graciously accepted their scholarships awarded by Friendship Senior Options Foundation at special ceremonies this past month.  Rachel Mathys of Elburn, Dhrumil Shah of Hoffman Estates, Hilary Dunn of South Elgin and Jaimie Navid of St. Charles each received $500 in the Foundation’s inaugural scholarship program. 

Friendship Senior Options operates two retirement communities: Friendship Village of Schaumburg and GreenFields of Geneva.  Both communities have strong ties to young people through intergenerational events. They also have formed strong bonds with the high school students who work in their communities.  In launching the scholarship program, Stephen Yenchek, President and CEO explained that FSO’s commitment to seniors extends beyond their current services. “Our mantra is ‘Get Set!’ and we believe that education is the key to preparing for the future. We’re proud to offer these scholarships to students advancing their education and consider this to be one of the many ways we invest in the future of our communities.”

“We were absolutely amazed at the caliber of students who applied for the scholarship,” said Kate Garbarek, Foundation Manager. “Those who were selected are incredible.” The recipients accepted their award and addressed residents and staff of Friendship Village and GreenFields.  “I am deeply passionate about using my gifts and talents to help others,” said Hilary, who will attend Western Illinois University to study biochemistry.  “My intended major of human/cellular biology will provide me with the basic foundation necessary to understand how certain diseases arrive in humans, and understanding the life cycle of cells.  Engaging in this topic may possibly save people like my grandmother in the future and help seniors live a more pain-free life,” said Dhrumil who will attend University of Illinois-Chicago to study cellular biology. “Working with these amazing individuals, some of whom I became close to, has not only taught me about the elderly, but also about myself. I have discovered my ability to brighten someone’s day and have found a way to help seniors in the future,” said Jaimie, who has worked with seniors.  She will be attending Washington University to study biology and health science. “Through my work with residents and special needs kid at my school through PE leadership, I have decided I want to work with special needs kids and people recovering from surgery to make them more independent in their own life,” said Rachel who will attend University of Kentucky to study psychology.

Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The four Friendship Senior Options Foundation scholarships will become an annual part of the Foundation’s efforts to impact its communities. “Education is the key to preparing for the future, and we are confident that if these scholarship recipients are representative of their generation, our future is safe in their hands,” said Garbarek. 

Friendship Senior Options is the not-for-profit organization that sponsors two of the Chicago area’s leading Continuing Care Retirement Communities:  Friendship Village of Schaumburg and GreenFields of Geneva.  We are at the forefront of developing innovative solutions to satisfy the critical needs of the senior living marketplace.  Friendship Senior Options provides a range of services for seniors in Chicago including independent living assisted living, skilled care, rehabilitation therapy, home services and memory support.  For more information, visit www.FriendshipSeniorOptions.org or call 847-884-5300.

Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?