Kristin Kosiewicz. Courtesy photo

BY STAN KOSIEWICZ AND AMY ANDERSON

In its fourth year, the Kristin Kosiewicz Substance Abuse Awareness Scholarship will provide three awards to graduating seniors. The value of the scholarships will be: one for $4,000 and two for $2,000 each. These local scholarships are administered by the LAPS Foundation and funded by donations.
The deadline for students to apply is Feb. 21, 2025. Link to online application.
This scholarship is in memory of Kristin Kosiewicz, a 1993 graduate of Los Alamos High School. Kristin died Sept. 25, 2021 from an accidental Fentanyl overdose. Link to obituary. Kristin was an excellent athlete and had many talents. She loved nature, painting, photography and travel. To learn more about Kristin, see the article, The Tragic Story of How One Pill Can Kill (link).
The objective of this scholarship is to increase awareness of the dangers of substance abuse. The year Kristin died, (2021) not much was spoken about substance abuse in the community. There was little open discussion about Narcan, a nasal spray opioid overdose treatment. This scholarship has contributed to community dialogue on substance abuse. In fact, in November 2023 there was a student-led event at SALA that was well attended by many students where nearly 100 doses of Narcan were distributed for free.
The number of applicants for Kristin’s scholarship has increased every year. In 2022, there were 12 applicants. This increased to 16 in 2023 and then 31 in 2024.
Stan Kosiewicz, Kristin’s father, and Amy Anderson, Kristin’s step-mother, have been impressed by the excellent quality shown in the written essays, which is an application requirement. Stan and Amy contact every student who applied for the scholarship to thank them for their efforts.
At this time, they also ask the students why they chose to apply for this scholarship and what they would like the community to know they feel would be effective substance abuse education. These discussions are held in strictest confidence.
The application can provide an outlet for students to grieve, as they did in 2024 for one of their classmates who died from an overdose of Fentanyl.
Once again, the deadline to apply for the scholarship is Feb. 21, 2025.

 


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