Scholarship Sisters
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If you have a sibling, it’s likely something you have experienced yourself. Either you buy exactly the same birthday card, unknowingly choose the same moment to make a big announcement, or occasionally arrive at family gatherings wearing eerily similar outfits. Although some may call it a simple coincidence, instances like these make it difficult to deny that siblings have a connection.
And, the most recent example of this happening in the life of the Pochiba sisters can be directly tied to the activities of the WCCF. A few weeks ago, McGuffey senior Sydney Pochiba announced to her family that she had applied for several WCCF scholarships, including the Alice Boone Main Scholarship. It was then that Sydney learned her older sister, Alex, was the recipient of that very scholarship six years ago!
The sisters had a laugh and thought it would be wonderful if Sydney followed in her footsteps and received the same award. So, when Sydney was named this year’s scholarship recipient, both were delighted.
Members of the Foundation’s Allocations & Programs committee only became aware of the connection between these scholarship sisters at a recent donor-student Meet & Greet at the Brownlee House.
Although the sisters have both met the criteria for the Alice Boone Main Scholarship, their interests are quite different. Sydney loves music and dreams of one day living in a big city like Nashville, Los Angeles, or New York.
Eager to begin a career in the music industry, she has enrolled in an accelerated program that will require her to take a whopping 37 credits a semester. “I have been accepted into Full Sail University, which offers a bachelor's degree in recording arts. During the specialized 22-month program, I will have the opportunity to learn hands-on in an advanced music industry driven school . . . I'm excited to venture into the next step of my life, further my education, and one day start a career in the music world.”
Alex, a 2017 graduate of Point Park University, holds a degree in forensic science. As a student, she secured internships with the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office and Advanced Surgical Hospital and was a member of the soccer team. With relevant experience in her field, Alex was able to secure employment for the City of Washington Police Department as a police data entry clerk and 911 dispatcher.
When Alex applied for the Alice Boone Main Memorial Fund scholarship six years ago, she did so because she recognized the name of her former principal. “I think that is what initially caught my attention,” she reflects.
The Alice Boone Main Memorial Fund was created at the Community Foundation in 1999 by family and friends to provide post‐secondary scholarships to worthy McGuffey School District graduates in “pursuit of their dreams.”
