Friday, June 10, 2016

Peconic Bay Zonta Awards ESL Scholarship to Zhuzhanna Mihal


Zhuzhanna Mihal of Moriches won a $300 scholarship from Peconic Bay Zonta, a service and advocacy group that works to improve the status of women. Peconic Bay Zonta scholarship chair Mary Ann Miller (left) presented Mihal with the award at Suffolk County Community College’s eastern campus, where she successfully completed Level 3 of the school’s English as a Second Language (ESL) program.

The local Zonta group awards the scholarship biannually to a female student in the college’s ESL program who is studying to achieve an educational goal.
A native of Ukraine, Mihal came to the U.S. one year ago to reconnect with her family. She and her nine-year-old son now reside with Mihal’s sister and her family, and her mother.

Mihal was an accountant in Ukraine, and she hopes to eventually pursue her career in accounting in the U.S.  Learning English is her priority in her educational goals. Also, a proficiency in English will help her communicate bilingually with her son. He is learning English at a fast pace in elementary school, so they are able to teach each other valuable language skills.

Based in Riverhead, Peconic Bay Zonta covers the East End of Long Island and is affiliated with Zonta International, which works to empower women worldwide through service and advocacy.

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