MANAYUNK

Originally Published in Manayunk Magazine

By Dana Dabek

The Neducsin name is a familiar one to many in Manayunk.  Dan and Luana have been community fixtures for more than 25 years and were instrumental in the revitalization of Main Street, owning several properties along the corridor and residential developments stretching up our hilly terrain.  The lesser-known story is their strong commitment to giving back to youth and their families in the Manayunk and Roxborough community through the Neducsin “Spirit of Manayunk” Scholarship Fund.  Since 1995, the fund has assisted 62 students to date in alleviating the pain of college costs.  It is a privately funded scholarship in the amount of $30,000 per student over a four-year period paid directly to the student’s college or university with additional funding available should the student go on to graduate work.  North Light Community Center, located on Green Lane, manages and administers the fund. The thread of community service is evident within both the criteria by which the students are selected and the origin of the fund itself.

Sitting down with Luana Neducsin, she expressed the impetus for creating the scholarship fund was “a commitment to giving back to a community I feel so close to.”  Feeling indebted to a community that has given so much to her and her family, she feels grateful for the opportunity to directly impact, not only the students, but their families as well.  “My parents believed in succeeding, but also helping others along the way and making sure to do something positive when you make it,” Luana said.  It was in that spirit Dan and Luana approached Irene Madrak, executive director at North Light, over 20 years ago.  Luana said, “We managed the scholarship through North Light because of Irene.  She has an energy and pulse on the community.”   

In the early years, Irene was key in recruiting a selection committee, made up of local residents and community leaders.  Now that past scholarship winners are enjoying successful careers, the drive to return the favor to the next generation of students is strong.  When asked to join the selection committee, Drew Swift, scholarship recipient and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, said the answer was a no-brainer; “Luana leads by example – she gives her time and energy to the scholarship and the kids who receive it.  How can you not want to support someone like that?”

While the fund is managed through North Light, scholarship winners have completed numerous service projects through their schools, religious institutions, and other community groups.  According to Luana, “While academic achievement is important, service to others is weighted the most heavily during the selection process.”  Scholarship recipient, selection committee member, and Temple graduate Gina Gondos agrees, “I strive to ensure that the recipients we choose are models of the goals and visions of the scholarship and are students who will appreciate the scholarship and what it stands for.”

With only four students on average selected out of up to thirty applicants, the competition can be tight.  However, winners not only receive the scholarship, but also lifelong mentors in Dan and Luana.  A majority of the scholarship recipients stay in touch through cards, emails, and visits.  “In many ways I feel like a guidance counselor,” Luana said, as she will often connect students to additional resources, career coaches, potential employers, or offer a friendly ear to listen when times get rough. 

Drew remembers Luana offering much needed support while he was adjusting to the demands of an Ivy League environment. “I did not meet the required GPA needed to keep the scholarship, and I reached out to Luana explaining my situation. She not only gave me time to bring up my GPA, she made sure I stayed in contact with her in order to keep me on the right path,” he said. “Knowing that I had that support helped me focus on what was important and not worry whether I was going to keep the scholarship.”  Scholarship recipient, selection committee member, former North Light board member, and Temple graduate Jill Pedroso is amazed by the commitment Dan and Luana show to each student. “They truly want everyone to succeed and will do whatever they can to ensure that happens,” she said. “Luana still loves to hear what is going on with all of her 62 scholars and saves all their notes and keepsakes.  It’s more than scholarships to them. They see each round of recipients as the future.” 

And that dedication often extends to the recipients’ families as well.  Beyond easing the burden of college costs, Luana is heartened that families feel comfortable enough to reach out to her when needed.  “I receive notes from parents expressing how the scholarship has eased the financial pressure their family faces, and frees up their resources for their other children and their home,” she said. Luana views the scholarship fund as a way to directly impact area families in a way that keeps her feeling connected to a community she loves. 

Dan and Luana hope to continue using the scholarship fund as a philanthropic vehicle as long as possible, and to keep the homegrown neighborhood feel it currently employs. “I love that the fund is small and I want to keep it as pure as possible. I recognize we are extremely fortunate and giving back this way is a gift for me at this stage of my life,” she said.  Luana swells with pride when discussing the students her and Dan have been able to help. “They are my inspiration,” she said. “They are diverse individuals in a variety of fields, doing good things, and are happy.  At the end of the day, it’s all about the kids.” 

The Neducsin “Spirit of Manayunk” Scholarship Fund provides partial scholarship assistance to undergraduate students, and is available to graduating high school students residing in zip codes 19127 and 19128. 

For interested students, the scholarship application and selection criteria are currently available at www.northlightcommunitycenter.org.