The National Hemophilia Foundation is pleased to announce that Michael Kuklish of Lillian, Alabama, is the recipient of the 2017 Kevin Child Scholarship.
Michael Kuklish is currently a sophomore at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL. He has an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and plans to pursue a major in cybersecurity at UWF. At the end of his freshman year, Michael was among the top candidates at his university selected to participate in the National Science Foundation’s STEM scholars program. After graduation, Kuklish hopes to obtain a position in the federal government in cybersecurity.
Kuklish spent 13 years with the Boy Scouts, attaining the level of Eagle Scout, and continues to volunteer to help younger scouts. In his local parish, he has served as a Sunday school teacher and now serves as a lay Eucharistic minister, and member of the Knights of Columbus. Kuklish has been active in his hemophilia community as well by participating in chapter events and giving substantive presentations about hemophilia to nursing students at Pensacola State College. In the summer of 2016, Kuklish volunteered as a counselor-in-training at the week-long Camp Freedom sponsored by the Tennessee Hemophilia Foundation.
In his personal statement, Michael Kuklish had shared that, “By teaching others about this disorder and volunteering my time at camp, I know I’m making a difference by encouraging in others the same kind of independence that I have gained (in my life).” In making this year’s selection, the Child Family said, “we were impressed with Michael Kuklish’s interest in STEM and his active community service, particularly in the hemophilia community.”
This scholarship award is named for Kevin Child, who died of AIDS in 1989, shortly before graduating from college. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a student with hemophilia who is currently enrolled or about to attend an institution of higher learning. In honor of Kevin’s legacy, the Child family established this scholarship program to provide assistance to other students with hemophilia also striving to attain their own academic and career goals.
