Kathy J. McGrath Excellence in Service Memorial Scholarship

David Ramirez established the Kathy J. McGrath Excellence in Service Memorial Scholarship to honor the memory of his late wife and the hard work, compassion, and dedication that she demonstrated in her life and as a social worker. This scholarship at SUNY Brockport recognizes an outstanding undergraduate or graduate social work student who demonstrates outstanding potential for professional practice as evidenced by their community service.

Ms. McGrath was born in Syracuse, and she grew up in Rochester. After her father left her and her mother, Ms. McGrath found inspiration from a social worker who helped the two of them, vowing to do something similar with her life. Diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a usually fatal bone cancer, when she was 15, Ms. McGrath entered a clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health in Washington and was among the three percent of children who recovered.

When she was 17, her mother was hit by a car when she was walking home from work, and she died from her injuries. Ms. McGrath still inspired by her early social worker attended Brockport majoring in social work, and she graduated in the Class of 1978.

According to Mr. Ramirez, he will never forget how his wife spent her life helping people and how much he appreciates talking with people for whom she made a life-changing difference. He notes that the years the two were married were the best of his life.

Students eligible for the Kathy J. McGrath Excellence in Service Memorial Scholarship can be at either undergraduate or graduate level. Undergraduate applicants should be a junior or senior student majoring in social work and be in good academic standing with a GPA of 2.5 or better. They must submit a minimum 500-word essay describing how their community service experience has influenced their education and provide preparation for a career in social work. Graduate-level students must be enrolled in the master of social work program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Both graduate and undergraduate students must demonstrate financial need as evidenced by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).