John W. Shirley (az Egyesült Államok nyugalmazott nagykövete), a Sárospatak Scholarship Foundation vezetője, 2003. augusztus 14-i beszámolója Lipták Bélának az alapítvány munkájáról. Részlet a Magyar Lobbi 2003. augusztus 15-i akció körleveléből, Lipták Béla bevezető megjegyzésével.

Lipták Béla: A Sárospatak Alapítvány 1991 óta 522 ösztöndíjjal szolgálta a magyar lélek, a magyar tudat gyógyulását és így a magyar jövőt. Az Alapítvány vezetője, az Egyesült Államok nyugdíjas nagykövete, a magyarul is kitűnően beszélő Jock Shirley. Kérem az HL minden olyan tagját, aki ezt meg tudja engedni magának, hogy támogassa Jock munkásságát.

John W. Shirley beszámolója:

Several weeks ago I received a letter from a student who graduated from the Sárospatak Academy in June. Let me share with you an excerpt from his letter:

“I want to thank you and all who contribute to the Foundation for what you did for me and for all of us. Nobody helped me in my life, just my mother and father. As a scholarship winner I felt that I belonged to an important group of people. I could feel that my future is important to somebody. Morally it meant much to me. In the past six years our small family business developed, my father got a new job, and my brother’s chances become better. Your scholarship played an important role in this. Thank you!”

This eighteen-year-old boy is an excellent student. He recently won a national science prize, presented to him by President Mádl, the president of Hungary.

This year I was unable to travel to Hungary due to an illness in my family. I was nevertheless in close touch with members of the Foundation’s board as they conducted interviews with the thirty-eight students who reapplied for our scholarships, as well as with the over seventy new applicants. Of the seventy new applicants fourteen were awarded scholarships for the coming academic year. We will thus be supporting a total of 54 students for academic year 2003-2004. Since beginning our work in 1991 we have awarded 522 scholarships.

Having voted overwhelmingly in favor of joining, Hungary is now scheduled to enter the European Union next May. Western Hungary has developed rapidly. Not so the Northeast where Sárospatak is located, and where all but very few of our students live. I continue to feel that the time will come when fewer students will require our help, but that our continued support is badly needed in the meantime.

Former students have established a website (www.1a.hu) on which you can read news of the Foundation and reports on initiatives of the Student Association. Last autumn a group of our former recipients gathered at the school for a seminar devoted to advising youngsters on their continued studies. In March the Association elected new officers, opened a bank account, and resolved henceforth to meet their own expenses.

Since school year 2003-2004 is upon us, let me ask you to make your contribution to our common initiative as soon as you conveniently can. We ask you to proceed as follows:

• Make out your check to the Hungarian Reformed Church, D.C.
• In the lower left-hand corner of your check, after the word “for,” write “The Sárospatak 1A Scholarship Foundation.”
• Send your check to Mr. Martin Tornallyay, 1206 Bel Air Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93105.

You may deduct the full amount of your contribution from the taxable income on your Federal tax return citing your contribution to the Hungarian Reformed Church, D.C., File # DNP 712252.

During my visits to Hungary I have time and again been told that our program is unique, and that it serves as an example of what a group of generous and determined private citizens can do to give life to a worthy cause.

Sincerely yours,
John W. Shirley
American Ambassador (ret.)
For the Sárospatak Scholarship Foundation

Forrás: A Magyar Lobbi Akció Körlevele, 2003. augusztus 15.