2008 Mattie Stepanek Caregiving Scholarships Awarded

Begun by the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) in 2005, the Mattie Stepanek Caregiving Scholarship was created in memory of renowned poet and peacemaker Mattie J. T. Stepanek. In Mattie’s view, “if all generations of people freely and abundantly give care to others and to our world, we will have an eternal source of love and hope that fulfills the needs of all ages…for all future”.

RCI recognizes that caregivers are often viewed as expendable resources in systems of care. As a result, many caregivers are overlooked, ill-prepared and may ultimately burn-out. RCI promotes the view that family, professional, and paraprofessional caregivers are the most valuable asset in any system of care, and they should be cultivated, preserved, developed, and valued.

To that end, the purpose of the Mattie Stepanek Caregiving Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to family, professional, or paraprofessional caregivers who are seeking training or education in specific skills, procedures and strategies that lead to more effective care, while also protecting the health and well-being of the caregiver.

This year a record number of scholarship applications were received from all over the country, making the selection process quite difficult. Mattie’s mother, Jeni Stepanek, serves as chair of the selection committee. She states, “It is always an honor to be able to support this effort, and to see how this award is rippling out and touching lives in such a powerful and good way. And I am so proud to see that each year, more and more applicants are linking the award money both with their own futures as caregivers and with the message of hope and peace that Rosalynn Carter and Mattie J.T. Stepanek have offered to others.” Nancy Hunt, President of the We Are Family Foundation and Kelly Ellison, Senior Communications Executive for Camp Fire USA also serve on the scholarship selection committee.

The 2008 Mattie Stepanek Caregiving Scholarship winners are:

Muneera Fontaine, Ft. Worth, TX – A quote by Mary McLeod Bethune “the purpose of education is service” is the driving force behind Muneera. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Early Childhood Development and Learning Disorders through the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders Graduate School in Kentfield, CA. As mother to a special needs son, Muneera’s education has empowered her to fight for him to get the treatment that he needs and deserves. Muneera seeks to pass this education along to others to help them cope with their own caregiving situations.

Yvonne S. Hiebert, Mt. Horeb, WI – Mother of 2 teenagers, Yvonne is a non-traditional student recently accepted into a PhD program in Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health and Development Disorders. Yvonne believes that because of the lack of adequate training, there is high burn-out and a sense of helplessness among those who work with young children with challenging behaviors or significant social-emotional issues. Through her PhD studies, Yvonne seeks to improve her own effectiveness in working with a wide range of parents and children to foster healthy early relationships. A research area of interest for Yvonne is exploring what kinds of supports have a positive impact on professionals working in the field of developmental disabilities.

Addjany Petit, Rowell, MA – Addjany, whose parents are Haitian immigrants, is the first generation in her family to attend college. Addjany is pursuing an education in nursing because “nursing involves the overwhelming ability to care with few limits or boundaries”. As a home health aide, Addjany has learned many life lessons from those she provides care for. She quickly realized that there was more to her job than just providing adequate service - Addjany feels a need to let her patients know that she truly cares about them and that they deserve to be valued. She has observed that one’s culture and exposure to educational opportunities plays an important role in an individual’s life decisions, so she has a goal of promoting care and health education among minorities in an effort to help others make better decisions about their health.

Cara Reindl, Rochester, NY – Cara’s goal is to finish her B.A. in Humanities at Roberts Wesleyan College and to work for a non-profit youth organization. Currently working in a special education preschool, Cara loves working with her “kids”, who teach her how beautiful and determined the human spirit can be. Cara states that despite incredible odds, each child overcomes, learns, laughs, explores and grows. Cara states that she feels privileged to be a part of something so beautiful. She believes that teaching hope to young people is invaluable, and she wants to teach others how to live well and how to care for others too.

A one-time special scholarship will also be awarded to Monadnock Worksource, a non-profit United Way agency serving adults with developmental disabilities and other acquired brain disorders in rural New Hampshire. The Vision Statement of Monadnock Worksource is “to build a community partnership between disabled and non-disabled individuals…to promote opportunities for productive and meaningful life experiences…and to foster personal growth and to encourage individual expression and respect for other’s differences.” With staff training funds severely limited, Associate Director David Mattocks applied for the scholarship so that seven of his agency’s most dedicated direct support professionals could enroll in an online curriculum developed by the College of Direct Support at the University of Minnesota. The course content includes a standardized knowledge base and practical applications, and was developed with the input of those working directly with individuals with developmental disabilities.

The Mattie Stepanek Caregiving Scholarship is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, RCI’s partner since 2001. This partnership builds on the significant work accomplished by the RCI over the past 21 years as well as on the credo of Johnson & Johnson to be “responsible to the communities in which we live and work,” and to “encourage…better health and education.”

The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving was established in 1987 on the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) in Americus, Georgia. The RCI was formed in honor of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, an alumna of GSW, to enhance her long-standing commitments to human development and mental health. The RCI works to establish local, state and national partnerships committed to building quality long-term, home and community- based services.