INTRODUCING the Welcome to Holland Endowed Scholarship for Integrated Studies
By : Deb O ' Reilly
“ With this scholarship , I now have the opportunity to help give others the education that my daughter has here ,” said Ellen Gremo , mother of Integrated Studies student Hanna Gremo ’ 25 . “ Another two years of GMercyU is not enough . Too many of Hanna ’ s peers are not in college , having these experiences . I wanted to help change that .”
The “ Welcome to Holland Endowed Scholarship ” is the first GMercyU scholarship dedicated to the Integrated Studies program , and it has a unique source of continued funding – The Community ’ s Cup , a nonprofit online cookie shop that employs adults of all abilities created by Hanna and Ellen , a former accountant and CPA .
It ’ s a fitting partnership , as it was only by happenstance that Ellen met the founder of GMercyU ’ s Integrated Studies program a couple years ago at a fundraising event for The Community ’ s Cup . Until then , the Gremo family hadn ’ t heard of GMercyU ’ s program .
Today at GMercyU , Hanna is taking Social Work classes and plans to work in the field after graduating . This spring , she interned with Horsham Center for Jewish Life , a local assisted living organization , shadowing their social worker and assisting the residents . She is also involved in multiple student organizations .
Hanna also lives on campus , and that ’ s why the scholarship gives preference to students who want to live on campus in the residence halls .
“ Living in the dorms is just as important , if not more , than the academics ,” Ellen explained . “ For Hanna , this is huge . She ’ s learning how to manage her time , getting up on her own , doing her own laundry , finding social opportunities , speaking up for herself . She ’ s building her confidence and learning independence .”
Now , all proceeds from The Community ’ s Cup directly fund the Welcome to Holland Endowed Scholarship .
Their cookies are sold in the Waldron Dining Hall – a suggestion of Dr . Wade Luquet ’ s , professor and coordinator of the Social Work program – so GMercyU can help give back to its own scholarship .
Chocolate-chip is their bestselling flavor , but the menu is full of mouthwatering options , including seasonal favorites and soon , handmade strawberry pop-tarts . They ’ re also sold at farmer markets , at last year ’ s GMercyU Christmas Tree Lighting event , and at other events around the area . They make great birthday gifts and party favors . And they support a terrific cause .
Learn more about The Community ’ s Cup here .
The Meaning Behind “ Welcome to Holland ”
“ Welcome to Holland ” is a wellknown essay about what it ’ s like parenting a child with disabilities . It was written by Emily Perl Kingsley , a former Sesame Street writer , who gave birth in the 1970s to a son with Down ’ s Syndrome .
The essay compares having a baby with planning a fabulous trip to Italy , but when your flight lands , you learn you ’ ve been brought to Holland instead . While everyone else is touring Italy , you ’ re in Holland , as this excerpt shares :
So you must go out and buy new guide books . And you must learn a whole new language . And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met .
It ’ s just a different place . It ’ s slower paced than Italy , less flashy than Italy . But after you ’ ve been there for a while and you catch your breath , you look around .... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills .... and Holland has tulips . Holland even has Rembrandts .
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy ... and they ’ re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there . And for the rest of your life , you will say “ Yes , that ’ s where I was supposed to go . That ’ s what I had planned .”
And the pain of that will never , ever , ever , ever go away ... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss .
But ... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn ’ t get to Italy , you may never be free to enjoy the very special , the very lovely things ... about Holland .
“ Hanna is in Holland ,” said Ellen . “ I think my daughter is the kindest human being I know , with the biggest heart . She tries so hard , harder than anyone I know . And now she ’ s on her own trajectory .”
Read the entire “ Welcome to Holland ” essay here .
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