For as far back as she can remember, Linda Henry has loved school, but, unfortunately, there have always been barriers to furthering her education. Her father was a cane cutter in Guyana, where she was raised, and her mother supplemented the family income by selling homemade snacks and fruits from their farm. They did not make enough money to send Linda to college. When she got older, after having a family of her own, she postponed her dreams of going to college in favor of providing for her children.

For the past seven years Linda has worked as a home health aide, delivering vital care to patients who have recently completed a hospital stay or who have chronic illnesses that require constant monitoring. She works with each patient for four to six weeks as their health improves, and finds deep purpose in her job.

“When my patients tell me ‘you are a good person’ or ‘I like how you take care of me,’ I know that I am doing the right thing,” she says. “If I am faithful in the little things that I do and make someone else happy, I am fulfilling my purpose.”

Now, with the help of the Basil Paterson Scholarship, she is able to achieve her dreams of going back to school, while continuing her passion to care for others. Currently, she is attending the New York City College of Technology. She is majoring in Human Services and has a GPA of 3.4. Her hope is to become a social worker.

Abiwaqqas Laryea, a 2015 scholarship awardee, discovered his passion for caregiving at an early age, caring for his father. “Abby” now works as a home health aide while attending college, majoring in nursing. He cares for his live-in client beginning Friday morning at 8:00 am until Monday at 8:00 am. This is not an easy schedule to maintain, but it does allow Abby to earn wages on the weekend and to focus on his studies during the week. Abby supports his widowed mother and younger siblings living in Ghana.

He has a cumulative GPA of 3.8 at Hunter College of the City University of New York, and is very determined to complete school and start working in his field. The Basil Paterson Scholarship pays tuition, college fees, books, and provides a cash stipend each term. “I see the scholarship as a priceless opportunity that a student from Africa is rare to come by,” said Abby. And we are so pleased to support Abby to achieve his education and career goals.

Maritza Crespo-Trahey is originally from Colombia and came to the United States 30 years ago. She started working for Premier Home Health Care in 2013. From a very young age, Maritza was given the responsibility of caring for her grandmother. Through this experience, she discovered that she loved to work with the elderly, and so she became a home health aide and embarked on her career path. Maritza is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing at the New York City College of Technology (City Tech), and her long-term goal is to become a surgical nurse. She is expected to graduate in fall 2018. About the scholarship, Maritza said, “Being selected for the Basil Paterson Scholarship was the most important accomplishment for me so far, and I felt astonished when I heard the news.”

“I learned about the great educational benefits that the 1199SEIU Home Care Industry Education Fund offered at an in-service meeting that my Union Organizer held at my agency. I heard about the opportunity to go to college, and I thought about the College of Staten Island.”

“Realizing that my daughters were growing up fast, I decided to go back to school…. Ms. Juanita Perkins, my Union Organizer, told me about the 1199SEIU Home Care Industry Education Fund. While I was attending basic skills classes, I learned [about] the National External Diploma Program. This program gave me not only my high school diploma but the opportunity to prove that I can do it! I have also taken advantage of skills enhancement workshops, which have helped me become a better and more caring home care worker.”

“On December 29, 2016, I became an American citizen. Finally! I feel as if a big weight was lifted off my shoulders. But my heart aches for the many immigrants who have to live in hiding, who have no papers and suffer endless humiliations like I did. All they want to do is work. This is why I am going to vote for those who will help immigrants. One vote makes a difference! My vote makes a difference!”