John R. Jr. and Virginia L. Swierenga Speech-Language Pathology Scholarship

This scholarship was funded by John and Virginia Swierenga in memory of their son Stephen. Stephen was born with Down Syndrome. At age three, following open heart surgery, he suffered a stroke which left him hemiplegic. Even though Stephen faced many health issues throughout his life, he was affectionate, courageous, resilient, and filled with joy. Therapists helped Stephen relearn skills after his stroke, and again later in life when he developed swallowing complications following cervical neck fusion. This field of work brought a better quality of life for Stephen. John and Virginia hope this scholarship will benefit the SPAUD students working to complete the master’s program at Calvin and will enable them to pursue their dreams of helping people.

Basic criteria:

• accepted or currently enrolled into the Speech Pathology and Audiology (SPAUD) Master’s Program
• financial need is considered
• students who demonstrate greater financial need will receive special consideration

Renewal criteria: This scholarship is automatically renewable if the student continues to make satisfactory academic progress. Renewal is subject to funding availability.