The TWA Women’s Scholarship Committee is pleased to present the five winners for 2018-19. Standing from left to right are: Neha Paragi, Melissa Collins, Lindsay Gawthrop, Claudia Chabay, and Madeline Purvis. We are very proud of them and their accomplishments and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

Claudia Chabay is a senior at Troy High. She listed over 1400 service hours and is a member of the National Honor Society. Claudia’s essay was about her grandmother who was raised under the communist regime in Eastern Europe and became a physician, battled breast cancer, emigrated to the US and through her drive to succeed still works at a doctor’s office at age 70+. Claudia learned grace, empathy and determination from her and hopes to someday be someone else’s role model. Claudia has been accepted at Central Michigan University where she will study Kinesiology with a goal to be a Physician’s Assistant.

Melissa Collins is a senior at Troy High. She listed over 200 service hours and is a member of the National Honor Society. Lindsay’s essay detailed the experience of how a severe knee injury which shattered her dreams of continuing life as an athlete and with it athletic scholarships, led her to develop strategies to cope with unplanned events and realize that she was more resilient than she realized. Melissa has been accepted to Oakland University where she will study the Sciences, her goal is to be a Radiologist.

Lindsay Gawthrop is a senior at Troy High. She listed over 800 service hours in her application, many at Brookdale Senior Living where she continues to volunteer. Lindsay has also helped us with Elf Shelf. Her essay told of being bullied at the International school when her father’s job took them to India for a brief time while she was in 3rd grade, and it taught her to be more compassionate and empathetic.

Lindsay has applied to the Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University to study Environmental Sciences. Lindsay is the eldest granddaughter of TWA Member Nancy Gawthrop.

Madeline Purvis is a senior at Athens High. She listed over 1000 service hours in her application and is a member of the National Honor Society and Student Council President. Madeline’s essay was about Athens High Charity week, where the Student Council plans and executes a multitude of fundraisers and this year raised over $130,000 for Focus Detroit. Learning to plan, collaborate, communicate, delegate, and cooperate while giving back sounds very familiar, doesn’t it! Madeline has been accepted at the University of Michigan where she will study Aerospace Engineering.

Neha Paragi is a student at the University of Michigan where she has a double major in Business Administration and Industrial & Operations Engineering. She listed over 2000 service hours in her application and is an Athens High grad where she was Valedictorian, Class President, NHS President, Co-Coach of the Larson Science Olympiad and also the co-founder of Swirl Cupcakes, a student-run

501(c)(3) which gives 100% of proceeds to charity. Neha is the first family member to pursue an undergrad degree in the US and her Business degree has already helped her mentor the students running Swirl Cupcakes as Executive Director.