Lynbrook Teen Wins National Scholarship Contest

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America: The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) named Jason Sitt, of Lynbrook, New York, the grand-prize winner of its national 2019 Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness Scholarship Essay Contest. Jason, who earned a $5,000 college scholarship for his essay about his memories with his grandfather who is living with Alzheimer’s disease, was chosen from nearly 3,000 entries across the country.

“Jason’s moving essay about his grandfather living with Alzheimer’s disease and the lessons that he learned from those experiences will help raise Alzheimer’s awareness and provide strength and support to millions of other families who are dealing with the same challenges,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s President and CEO. “We congratulate Jason on winning this competition, thank him for sharing his story and are grateful for his efforts in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.”

Jason’s essay focused on his grandfather, whom he described as a loving family man with a strong work ethic who immigrated to the United States from China. Jason fondly remembers his grandfather proudly teaching him about his Chinese heritage, encouraging him to do well in school, taking him on walks in the park to feed fish in the pond and cooking family dinners every Saturday. Despite the impact of Alzheimer’s, including several incidents in which his grandfather wandered miles away from safety, Jason found a “silver lining” in his grandfather’s diagnosis: It allowed him to “treasure his presence and recognize the simple gifts he has given…..I keep fighting for grandpa because he would’ve never stopped fighting for me.”

Jason has already played an active role in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Last summer, Jason was a researcher at Columbia University, where he conducted projects that take steps in developing treatments to halt the progression of Alzheimer’s. Jason will be attending the University of Virginia this fall, pursuing a degree in biology.

AFA’s annual Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness Scholarship Essay Contest asks high school seniors to describe how Alzheimer’s disease impacts their lives, what they’ve learned in the face of coping with it and how they plan to help others who are affected by it. This year, AFA awarded $34,500 in college scholarships to 36 students from across the country. Since the program’s inception, AFA has awarded more than $250,000 in college scholarships to students affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

For more information about AFA’s Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness Scholarship Essay Contest, or to make a donation in support of the program, call AFA at 866-232-8484 or visit www.alzfdn.org.

(AFA) named Jason Sitt, of Lynbrook, New York, the grand-prize winner of its national 2019 Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness Scholarship Essay Contest. Jason, who earned a $5,000 college scholarship for his essay about his memories with his grandfather who is living with Alzheimer’s disease, was chosen from nearly 3,000 entries across the country.

“Jason’s moving essay about his grandfather living with Alzheimer’s disease and the lessons that he learned from those experiences will help raise Alzheimer’s awareness and provide strength and support to millions of other families who are dealing with the same challenges,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFA’s President and CEO. “We congratulate Jason on winning this competition, thank him for sharing his story and are grateful for his efforts in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.”

Jason’s essay focused on his grandfather, whom he described as a loving family man with a strong work ethic who immigrated to the United States from China. Jason fondly remembers his grandfather proudly teaching him about his Chinese heritage, encouraging him to do well in school, taking him on walks in the park to feed fish in the pond and cooking family dinners every Saturday. Despite the impact of Alzheimer’s, including several incidents in which his grandfather wandered miles away from safety, Jason found a “silver lining” in his grandfather’s diagnosis: It allowed him to “treasure his presence and recognize the simple gifts he has given…..I keep fighting for grandpa because he would’ve never stopped fighting for me.”

Jason has already played an active role in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Last summer, Jason was a researcher at Columbia University, where he conducted projects that take steps in developing treatments to halt the progression of Alzheimer’s. Jason will be attending the University of Virginia this fall, pursuing a degree in biology.

AFA’s annual Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness Scholarship Essay Contest asks high school seniors to describe how Alzheimer’s disease impacts their lives, what they’ve learned in the face of coping with it and how they plan to help others who are affected by it. This year, AFA awarded $34,500 in college scholarships to 36 students from across the country. Since the program’s inception, AFA has awarded more than $250,000 in college scholarships to students affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

For more information about AFA’s Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness Scholarship Essay Contest, or to make a donation in support of the program, call AFA at 866-232-8484 or visit www.alzfdn.org.