3:32 p.m., April 29, 2010----Kylie Melvin of Bear, Del., a sophomore human services major with a concentration in clinical services and a minor in disabilities studies, has been selected as the second recipient of the Swank Human Services Disabilities Scholarship at the University of Delaware. The announcement was made at the 25th annual Marion H. Steele Symposium on April 23 by the first Swank Scholarship recipient, J. Rachel McCulley.

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The Swank Human Services Disabilities Scholarship, funded by the Howard K. Swank, Alma K. Swank, and Richard Kemper Swank Foundation, provides financial support including tuition, books, fees and related expenses up to $18,000 for the recipient's junior and senior years at the University of Delaware. The recipient must be a Delaware resident.

Swank Foundation board member Nancy Gale was also present for the awarding of the 2010 Swank Scholarship in front of over 100 students, faculty and staff from the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and the College of Education and Public Policy. On behalf of the Swank Foundation, Gale said that they are “very proud to be part of this wonderful program. We congratulate Kylie Melvin and look forward to following her achievements.”

Melvin, in accepting the scholarship award, said that she “can't put into words how excited and honored I am to be the recipient of the Swank Scholarship. I have always loved coaching and working directly with children and adolescents with disabilities ... I want to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities because they have been such a positive influence on my life.”

Melvin has worked with individuals with disabilities for many years, serving as a coach and coordinator for Special Olympics Delaware. She is also a member of the University of Delaware Best Buddies program, an affiliated program of Special Olympics that is dedicated to establishing one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Melvin also presented a scholarly session entitled “Special Olympics Delaware Youth for Unity” at a service learning conference this past January.

In her announcement that Melvin was the second Swank Disability Scholarship recipient, McCulley said that the “past year has been an exhilarating ride for me, and I cannot express how much the Swank Scholarship has assisted me in making the most of my time at the University of Delaware.”

As part of the Swank Scholarship, Melvin, McCulley and future recipients engage in a two-year program designed to enhance their experiences in human disabilities and service delivery. In addition to completing a minor in disabilities studies, they participate in an approved research, service or demonstration project related to people with disabilities each of the two years of their scholarship.

McCulley shared with the audience some of the activities that she has participated in during the past year because of the support of the Swank Scholarship. These have included being an intern with the Swank Employment Initiative at UD's Center for Disabilities Studies, participation in a national policy seminar focusing on disabilities, and a five week around the world trip to Ghana, Dubai, Nepal, and Thailand to study disability culture, policy and services.

McCulley expressed her appreciation to the Swank Foundation for these opportunities, saying that they have “increased my confidence and enhanced my direction for the future.”

The Swank Scholarship is awarded upon the recommendation of the faculty of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in the College of Education and Public Policy and made with the expressed understanding that the recipient will work in Delaware in the field of services to persons with disabilities for a minimum of two years upon graduation.

Donald Unger, chair of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies said, “We are extremely grateful to the Swank Foundation and its board for this generous scholarship. We are especially grateful that the target of these scholarships are Delaware residents. Both Kylie Melvin and Rachel McCulley are excellent examples of students with a passion for human services and a commitment to the state of Delaware and its citizens with disabilities.”

Melvin has said that her goal upon graduating from the University of Delaware is to “work with adolescents and individuals with intellectual disabilities in the court system or hospitals and to make a difference in their lives.”

Photo by Duane Perry