H.O.P.E. (Help for Oncology Problems and Emotional Support) has announced its 2019 scholarship winners. The honorees are Cora Beyer, Alexander Guy, Megan Hale and Daelyn Stabler. The honorees had to complete an application and an interview. H.O.P.E. has been awarding scholarships to high school seniors for more than 20 years.
At Red Lion Area Senior High School, Cora was listed on the distinguished honor roll all four years and was a member of the National Honor Society during her junior and senior years. She has also been the Community Activist of the Month and the Student of the Month. She is the chief political editor for her school newspaper and captain of the varsity tennis team.
Cora is a cancer survivor who, at the age of 5, was treated at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. She has spent the past four years giving back to Penn State Hershey through her active participation in THON. Red Lion Area Senior High School has a year-round Mini-THON program, including various committees and events. In her sophomore and junior years, Cora was a committee chair, and in her senior year she was chosen to be head captain, overseeing all the committees and meeting weekly with each one. Cora also served as the master of ceremonies for Four Diamonds at its various galas.
She plans to attend Gettysburg College to prepare for a career in government as a policy professional.
Alex's father was diagnosed with bone cancer twice in his right leg. The second surgery, when Alex was a sophomore, involved an internal amputation and an internal prosthesis. Extensive physical therapy followed, and home rehabilitation is still going on.
Alex is a Delone Catholic senior who graduated in the top 10 of his class. He is a member of the National Honor Society and the National English, Spanish, and Math honor societies. He has won several community awards and received the Roots for Boots scholarship, presented by a Pennsylvania nonprofit that supports and assists service members and their families, focusing especially on those in rural areas. Alex was also involved with his school's peer ministry and is an altar server in his church. He played the euphonium in the school's concert and jazz bands.
Outside of school, Alex has a second-degree black belt in karate and is near completion of his Eagle Scout project, for which he is supervising the construction of a "catio," an enclosed patio for cats.
Alex intends to pursue a double major in biomedical engineering and nursing in a five-year program at Duquesne University. He would like to work on the types of innovations that aided his father.
Megan's mother lost her two-year battle with cancer when Megan was 8. Megan is the middle of five children, with two brothers and two sisters.
Megan participated in cross-country all four years at York Catholic High School and was chosen as captain her senior year. She served on the executive board of her school's chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions, and she is a member of the National Honor Society and president of the Spanish Club. Megan was chosen to represent her school in the Future Leaders of York program, where she learned about and volunteered for several nonprofit organizations and met many community leaders and fellow high school leaders.
Megan knew from an early age she wanted to go into nursing, with the goal to be a nurse practitioner. Megan, whose father is a former Marine, received the ROTC scholarship at Penn State. The three-year program will pay for her tuition, and, in return, once she graduates, Megan will spend six years on active duty and two more in the Reserves. Afterward, Megan would like to enter the field of obstetrics and gynecology.
While at New Oxford High School, Daelyn was a distinguished honor roll student, a member of the National Honor Society and the Science National Honor Society, the editor of the school yearbook, the treasurer for her class' Student Council, and a freshman mentor. She played the flute in the concert band and the mellophone (French horn) in the marching band. She played on the varsity lacrosse and basketball teams, earning varsity letters in both sports as a freshman, and she was chosen as captain of her basketball team in her junior and senior years.
Outside of school, Daelyn has earned the Silver Award, the second-highest award a Girl Scout can earn. For her project, she designed and constructed a 12-foot bridge that can be collapsed to fit in the back of a car. The handicapped-accessible invention will be used for Girl Scout bridging ceremonies. Daelyn is also involved in her church and participates at work camps for a week each summer. Volunteers help to rebuild housing for low-income or widowed homeowners across the United States.
Daelyn's grandmother was diagnosed with leukemia before Daelyn was born, and her aunt was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a few years later. Both are in remission and living with Daelyn's family. Daelyn's cousin was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia in 2016, and she died a year later. To honor these three women, Daelyn donated 12 inches of her hair as part of Mini-THON. Since then, Daelyn has donated her hair two more times, contributing to a total of nine wigs.
Daelyn has set her sights on becoming a zoo veterinarian. This job requires a minimum of 12 years of education and can be pursued in only a handful of universities on the East Coast.
H.O.P.E. (Help for Oncology Problems and Emotional Support) is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization founded in 1994. The organization provides hands-on assistance and support services to cancer patients and their families.
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