2019 Larry Marquardt College Scholarship winners
Children of AFSCME members or retirees who are high school seniors or college students under the age of 25—as well as members in good standing who plan to attend school full-time—are eligible to apply for AFSCME Council 31’s annual Larry Marquardt Scholarship.
The $2,000 scholarship honors the first executive director of Council 31 and a tireless union organizer.
This year’s Marquardt scholarship winners are Olivia Streeter and Victoria Revolinski. Congratulations to all our 2019 applicants, and good luck.
Olivia Streeter
Olivia Streeter graduated from Peoria High School and is headed to Illinois State University. She is the daughter of AFSCME Sub-Chapter 78 Retiree Debra Streeter.
“I have enjoyed the benefits of a life that AFSCME helped my mother to provide. While many women make less than their male counterparts in non-union jobs, AFSCME contracts ensured my mother earned the same wage as men in her position.
“My grandmother worked difficult jobs for long hours for very little pay because she didn’t have the opportunity to join a union. In just one generation, union benefits helped her daughter earn a pension and a college degree.
“With a college degree in communications, I hope to help people understand that without unions, working conditions would deteriorate and the works of past generations of men and women to get us to this point would be lost.”*
Victoria Revolinski
Victoria Revolinski graduated from Anna Jonesboro High School and will attend Shawnee Community College. She is the daughter of AFSCME Local 141 member Douglas Revolinski.
“When Bruce Rauner was elected governor of Illinois, one of [his] goals was to bust the unions. Well, he tried, but it seems to have made people come together and make unions stronger.
“Unions fought for—and work to strengthen—many things we take for granted. My dad works at Choate Mental Health Center. His benefits include vacation, sick and personal time, health insurance and retirement. Those are the most important benefits, but there are more. My dad’s union fights for him.
“Unions have a tough battle ahead protecting the rights of the middle class. There are groups that attack the rights of workers. It’s a frightening situation. That’s why the labor movement is needed today more than ever.”*
To learn more about scholarship opportunities for AFSCME members, retirees and their children, visit AFSCME31.org/union-scholarships.
*Excerpted from scholarship application essay.
