Erik Kratky Memorial Scholarship
Donation protected
2019 marks five years since we lost our best friend, our brother. We have been talking about starting a memorial scholarship for a few years now and never knew where to begin. This year the opportunity fell in our lap and we are beyond excited get this started.
Erik Kratky was truly an inspiration. He graduated from Midpark high school in 2003. His 4.56 GPA got him a full scholarship to Kent State University where he completed his Bachelor's of Science in Mathematics. While finishing his degree at Kent State, Erik began experiencing weakness in his legs. An MRI revealed tumors on his spine that required surgical intervention. He recovered well from that surgery and after Kent, Erik was accepted into graduate school at The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). While working on his graduate degree, Erik's tumors returned and he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of spinal cancer called, Spinal Cord Ependymoma. His ability to walk became severely impaired and he spent much of his time in a wheelchair. However, Erik did not let that hold him back. While undergoing radiation and chemotherapy, Erik completed his Master's Degree in Quantitative and Computational Finance and went on to teach college level mathematics. He also spent time tutoring college students in math, a subject that he was very passionate about. Erik didn't stop there, his love of sports landed him a position as a point guard on the Cleveland Wheelchair Cavaliers where he was able to play a sport that he loved while traveling and meeting new people. While playing a Cleveland Cavs game in his hometown of Brook Park, he received an honorary plaque for raising awareness about disabilities. He also participated in the St. Baldrick's event that raises money and awareness for pediatric and adolescent cancer. Erik lived his life to the very fullest and in 2014, he lost his long battle with cancer.
There isn't a day that goes by that we don't think of our friend, and we wanted to create a memorial scholarship to continue his legacy. This scholarship will be awarded to a Berea-Midpark graduate with academic excellence, who is mathematically inclined and of course, is an athlete.
All funds raised on this page will go towards the scholarship. This fall we will hold a pizza, wing, and beer fundraiser to start saving for next years scholarship. In the future we would like to create a golf outing in Erik's Memory.
Thank you.
Erik Kratky was truly an inspiration. He graduated from Midpark high school in 2003. His 4.56 GPA got him a full scholarship to Kent State University where he completed his Bachelor's of Science in Mathematics. While finishing his degree at Kent State, Erik began experiencing weakness in his legs. An MRI revealed tumors on his spine that required surgical intervention. He recovered well from that surgery and after Kent, Erik was accepted into graduate school at The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). While working on his graduate degree, Erik's tumors returned and he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of spinal cancer called, Spinal Cord Ependymoma. His ability to walk became severely impaired and he spent much of his time in a wheelchair. However, Erik did not let that hold him back. While undergoing radiation and chemotherapy, Erik completed his Master's Degree in Quantitative and Computational Finance and went on to teach college level mathematics. He also spent time tutoring college students in math, a subject that he was very passionate about. Erik didn't stop there, his love of sports landed him a position as a point guard on the Cleveland Wheelchair Cavaliers where he was able to play a sport that he loved while traveling and meeting new people. While playing a Cleveland Cavs game in his hometown of Brook Park, he received an honorary plaque for raising awareness about disabilities. He also participated in the St. Baldrick's event that raises money and awareness for pediatric and adolescent cancer. Erik lived his life to the very fullest and in 2014, he lost his long battle with cancer.
There isn't a day that goes by that we don't think of our friend, and we wanted to create a memorial scholarship to continue his legacy. This scholarship will be awarded to a Berea-Midpark graduate with academic excellence, who is mathematically inclined and of course, is an athlete.
All funds raised on this page will go towards the scholarship. This fall we will hold a pizza, wing, and beer fundraiser to start saving for next years scholarship. In the future we would like to create a golf outing in Erik's Memory.
Thank you.
Organizer
Steve Balog
Organizer
Berea, OH
