ROBERTA WALTER SCHOLARSHIP MIFFLINBURG HIGH SCHOOL PA FFA: August 2011

Sunday, August 7, 2011

MARK BENFER

WONDERFUL NEWS FROM MARK BENFER. LANDED A JOB WITH URS CORP IN WILLIAMSPORT AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST. FIRST TIME I MET MARK AS A FRESHMAN I KNEW HE WOULD BE ONE OF THE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS. A QUALITY HUMAN BEING AND THAT SAYS A LOT ABOUT HIS MOM AND DAD. BEST OF LUCK IN THE NEW JOB.

ROBERTA AND HOW I GOT THE SCHOLARSHIP STARTED

ROBERTA WAS MY YOUNGER SISTER AND IN FEBRUARY OF 1972 WE LOST HER TO A BRAIN TUMOR. TENDER AGE OF 5 AND I ALWAYS HAD THIS FEELING THAT THERE HAD TO BE MORE. SHE NEVER GOT TO LIVE OUT MANY OF HER DREAMS AND FELT IT WAS SO UNFAIR. I WAS ONLY 11 AT THE TIME AND TWO THINGS I REMEMBER DISTINCTLY ABOUT MY SISTER. MY FIRST VISIT TO SEE ROBERTA AFTER HER OPERATION. PUSHED OPEN THE DOOR TO THE CHILDRENS WARD AND THERE SHE SAT. HEAD SHAVED AND THAT GOD AWFUL SCAR DOWN THE MIDDLE OF HER HEAD.........BUT YET THE SMILE !!! AND WITH THAT THE OTHER THING THAT HAS STUCK WITH ME. THE FACT THAT SHE NEVER COMPLAINED. IN FACT THE ONLY THING SHE EVER GOT UPSET ABOUT WAS WHEN THEY CUT OFF HER HAIR. SHE HAD LONG CURLY HAIR AND WAS SO PROUD OF IT.
FOR 10 YEARS OR MORE I PLANNED ON STARTING THIS SCHOLARSHIP BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL OUR DEAR
FRIEND SHIRLEY STOVER WAS TAKEN FROM US BY A DRUNK DRIVER THAT I FINALLY GOT IT UNDERWAY.
WENT TO WORK AFTER HEARING THE NEWS ON THE RADIO AND GOT DISCUSSING IT WITH MY BOSS JOHN
DONAHOE. IT WAS JOHN THAT UTTERED THE WORDS... I DON'T KNOW WHY WE PUT THINGS OFF IN OUR LIVES,
CAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL BE YOUR TURN. I LOOKED AT JOHN AND REPLIED, YOU DON'T
EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU JUST SAID. AND WITH THAT I
CONTACTED GLENN AND THE MIFFLINBURG FFA. MY DREAM HAD BEGUN ! THE ODD AND SAD THING TO ALL OF THIS IS JOHN COMITTED SUICIDE ABOUT 1 YEAR LATER.
IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE AND THE WINNERS HAVE BECOME THE KIDS I NEVER HAD. BEEN TO SEVERAL COLLEGE GRADUATIONS, WEDDINGS AND EVEN ATTENDED A COLLEGE CLASS WITH KIM. IT WAS ACTUALLY A LECTURE ON HOW THE AMERICAN INDIANS EFFECTED THE WOMANS LIB MOVEMENT...NOT KIDDING AND IT WAS FASCINATING.
MY MAIN GOAL WITH ALL OF THIS IS NOT ONLY HONORING ROBERTA BUT TO GIVE BACK TO THE FFA.
ALSO TO HELP OTHERS LIVE OUT THEIR DREAMS AS ROBERTA NEVER GOT A CHANCE TO.

AND TO MY SISTER ROBERTA ,

I MISS YOU A " LITTLE "

A LITTLE TOO MUCH

A LITTLE TOO OFTEN

A LITTLE BIT MORE EVERYDAY.

MY FAVORITE POEM.......SUCCESS

THIS IS MY FAVORITE POEM AND THE LAST FEW LINES ARE HOW I TRY TO LIVE OUT MY LIFE.

SUCCESS

TO LAUGH OFTEN AND MUCH
TO WIN THE RESPECT OF INTELLIGENT PEOPLE AND THE AFFECTION OF CHILDREN
TO EARN THE APPRECIATION OF HONEST CRITICS AND TO ENDURE THE BETRAYAL OF THE FALSE FRIENDS
TO APPRECIATE BEAUTY, TO FIND THE BEST IN OTHERS, TO LEAVE THE WORLD A BIT BETTER , WHETHER BY A HEALTHY CHILD, A GARDEN PATCH OR A REDEEMED SOCIAL CONDITION.
TO KNOW EVEN ONE LIFE HAS BREATHED EASIER BECAUSE YOU HAVE LIVED...
THAT IS TO HAVE SUCCEEDED

RALPH WALDO EMERSON

ROBERTA WALTER SCHOLARSHIP MIFFLINBURG HIGH SCHOOL PA FFA

Sunday, August 7, 2011

MARK BENFER

PHOTOS

MAZEPPA

ROBERTA'S FAVORITE SONG

ROBERTA AND HOW I GOT THE SCHOLARSHIP STARTED

KIM

KIM AND HUBBY CHAD

GRADY

Blog Archive

AMANDA AND EMILY

2014 WINNERS

2013 WINNERS

BRICK AT CAMP VICTORY

2012 WINNER

JULIA

JEN AND JAMES MAPES

WHAT A MESS

LINDSAY

MY FAVORITE POEM.......SUCCESS