THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 24, 1994 TAG: 9406230149
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: 940624 LENGTH: Medium
Each year, Virginia Beach students receive millions of dollars in financial aid. For some, the cash awards mean they can devote more time to their studies. To others, it means they can hope for something more than a life spent in dead-end jobs.
{REST} For Mary Vasilion, the single mom of a physically disabled, bright-eyed 7-year-old daughter, one of the smaller of the scholarships granted this spring meant early completion of the first phase of college.
``It's letting me take two courses this summer so that all I'll have left in the fall are my internships,'' she said of the $300 scholarship she received from the Virginia Beach branch of the American Association of University Women.
If that doesn't seem like a big deal, consider this. It has taken Vasilion seven years of part-time study to get within two courses of completing her two-year associate's degree in the field of dietetics at Tidewater Community College.
A lot of that has to do with the light of her life, Mariah, who was born a month prematurely not quite eight years ago with serious physical problems.
``She's had 13 surgeries (most to correct intestinal problems) and spent months in the hospital,'' Vasilion said of the little girl who spends most of her waking hours in a big, black wheelchair with hot-pink trim.
``I slept by her (hospital) bed for two solid months at one point,'' said the trim young mother, who attributes her own glowing health and high energy to a combination of body-building exercises and good nutrition.
Even with all of her child's special needs, Vasilion, who was divorced from Mariah's father four years ago, managed to pursue her studies at TCC, not just passing her courses but getting all A's in the process.
``Mariah has always come first, though,'' she said.
Putting Mariah's needs first has meant 18-hour days, six- and seven-day work weeks and taking time off when the youngster's condition required it.
It also has meant such creative techniques as having Mariah at her side when a baby sitter wasn't available at exam time and putting her dietary knowledge to work to help the child she was told would always require special formula and a feeding tube.
Unwilling to accept that prognosis, Vasilion searched until she found a pediatric gastroenterologist in Richmond who was willing to help her move Mariah toward a more normal life.
``Now she can eat just about everything,'' Vasilion said proudly of the strides Mariah has made. ``She sees the (gastroenterologist) for a check-up once a year, and the only supplement she needs is a daily multi-vitamin.''
The AAUW scholarship is not the first that Vasilion has received. ``I wasn't eligible for a Pell Grant because I couldn't take the required number of hours,'' she explained. ``But the International Food Service Executives Association were wonderful about helping me out for several semesters.
``They usually only give help for one semester, but they carried me for more than that,'' she said.
As far as the future is concerned, Vasilion hopes to work with people who don't understand the value of nutrition, such as the young mothers in the WIC program where she will do part of her internship.
``It's not about how much money I'm going to get,'' she said, ``I want to be where I can help.''
And she also wants to continue her studies in order to get additional degrees. ``I guess I'm just a professional student at heart,'' Vasilion said with a laugh. by CNB