By Rose S. Prinzi
This fall, Brian Scott Suckow would have been entering his freshman year in college. He had a dream of becoming a cancer researcher.
Brian was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 1991, to James and Barbara Swift Suckow. He was intelligent, bright, quick and curious; qualities that led him to academic success. As a student in the Falconer School District, he was in the top of his class. It was his love of learning and his desire to use his intelligence that made him excel.
Brian, just like any young person, enjoyed different hobbies and sports. He was an excellent baseball player and loved to watch football. Through his love of sports, he became an avid baseball and football card collector. However, unlike most young people, he created his own internet business where he would sell many of his sports cards online.
As a tutor for special needs students, he demonstrated his desire to help others. This desire led him to remain focused and optimistic in his goal of becoming a cancer researcher. It was his hope to relieve the pain of young children, so they would not have to experience what he had to.
This engaging and endearing teenager lost his battle with cancer on January 4, 2005. In his memory, his parents established the Brian S. Suckow Memorial Scholarship at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. This scholarship is awarded to a Frewsburg graduating high school senior with academic achievement and financial need who demonstrates a hard-working, competitive and modest personality with an interest in the natural world. Priority is given to a student who is pursuing a degree in the medical or nursing fields with a secondary priority to any science area.
The Brian S. Suckow Memorial Scholarship Fund was created as a legacy of remembrance for Brian and the special person he was. It was also created to help provide an opportunity for a student entering a medical-related field, who might one day be able to help individuals with health issues such as Brian’s.
Brian will be remembered not only through this fund and the people that knew him but also by those who are recipients of his scholarship. The first scholarship recipient of Brian’s fund was Amy Lynn Gray. In her scholarship acceptance letter, Amy Lynn stated, “By pursuing a career in medicine, I hope to be able to give back to the community and, above all, make a difference in someone’s life”…just like Brian would have liked.
Even at the tender age of 13, Brian Scott Suckow left his mark on the world.
As a Community Foundation, we offer Scholarships, Community Service Grants, and Field of Interest Grants. We, also, offer to those who may be grieving the loss of a loved one a way to keep his or her memory alive. By establishing a fund, families and friends can ease their pain knowing that they are creating a perpetual memorial in the name of the one who has passed. It is a positive step to healing a saddened heart. Brian’s dream will be carried on each year through the scholarship given in his name - his dream fulfilled.For information about how you can create a fund at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation call 661-3390.