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Saturday, February 22nd, 2022
I am proud to announce the fourth recipient of The Addolorata De Luca Leadership Scholarship, Sylwia Borawski. This year’s scholarship is in loving memory of Addolorata's son, Marcello De Luca (my uncle), who passed away in November 2021. Marcello was one of the first supporters of the Addolorata De Luca Leadership Scholarship. He immigrated to Canada with his mother and four siblings when he was 21. Though my uncle immigrated from Italy and loved his homeland, Marcello was grateful to call Canada home. He was a proud Italian who always had a smile on his face. You could often find Marcello spending time with his family, tending to his vegetable garden, and meeting friends at the Ciociaro Club for a game of bocce ball.
Sylwia Borawski is a first-generation Canadian whose parents immigrated to Canada from Poland 30 years ago. They faced numerous challenges, including working 16-hour shifts in poor conditions, learning a new language and adjusting to a new culture while being thousands of kilometres away from their loved ones. Sylwia states, “My parents’ bravery and determination is something I truly admire. I will be eternally grateful for their sacrifice because I recognize that without it, I would not have the opportunities I do today. Through my academics and by pursuing my passion of caring for others as a nurse, I hope to show my appreciation and make them proud.”
Sylwia, a third-year Nursing student with over a 95% average, embodies the ADL Scholarship’s mission—honouring our ancestors while giving back to the next generation of student leaders. Her leadership and volunteer commitments are extensive. Sylwia is a Peer Mentor in the University’s Clinical Learning Center, a Students Offering Support Pharmacology tutor, and an Outstanding Scholars program Student Researcher. As someone who lives with a chronic illness herself, Sylwia is dedicated to making a meaningful contribution to the healthcare field and has used her passion for advocacy and made her voice heard by publishing two peer-reviewed research articles. Within Windsor-Essex, Sylwia has held volunteer positions in the Child Life program at Windsor Regional Hospital, within Transition to Betterness, the Salvation Army and the Canadian Cancer Society. Following graduation, Sylwia plans to work as an Emergency Department nurse. She aspires to pursue her Masters in Nursing, her Nurse Practitioner and Ph.D.
To assist deserving students, such as Sylwia, please feel free to contact me (info@adlscholarship.com) or visit the Donate section of this website for more information. I look forward to seeing this scholarship grow and continue to help new students every year.
Sincerely,
Cessidia De Biasio, Founder of The Addolorata De Luca Leadership Scholarship