UW-Parkside students earn TMAC scholarships

University of Wisconsin-Parkside business students Christopher Baratki and Matthew Vidas recently became the latest recipients of scholarships from the Treasury Management Association of Chicago (TMAC). Both received $3,000 scholarships for their academic excellence and community service.

Baratki has earned a 3.96 GPA while working full time and holding executive positions with the Accounting Club and Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization. He is the spring semester financial management intern at the Center for Community Partnerships supervised by Mark Gesner. Baratki expressed excitement about attending his first TMAC educational session and dinner in Chicago.

"We were introduced and networked with a couple dozen financial executives [and] we heard an expert speak on foreign bank account reporting. I'm looking forward to TMAC's Windy City Summit in June, where we will be introduced to over 2,000 attendees at a Scholarship Honors Lunch."

Baratki, a May grad, said, "this scholarship is a great start for my career."

Vidas has a 3.75 GPA in Business with finance and accounting concentrations. He achieved this while running track and cross country and working in the Student Activities Office. He is the spring semester financial management intern for Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corp. (WWBIC) and is supervised by Heather Lux.

Vidas, who graduates in May, said a story on the UW-Parkside web site about student Craig Leszczynski receiving a 2011 TMAC scholarship got him interested.

"Reading about the valuable experience Craig gained made me eager for this year's opportunity. I wanted the opportunity to get real life work experience, learn more about financial management, and network with treasury professionals in Chicago," Vidas said. 

Leszczynski now works in the Treasury Dept. at SC Johnson.

"I am very proud of the accomplishments of these two 'Stand Out' students, as they represent the academic excellence the SBT and the university seek to achieve," said UW-Parkside School of Business & Technology (SBT) Dean Dr. Fred Ebeid. "Community engagement is a hallmark of UW-Parkside and this is the first time we have placed TMAC scholars with two not-for-profit organizations, WWBIC and CCP. We are very pleased with this community collaboration."

Congratulating Vidas and Baratki on becoming UW-Parkside's ninth and tenth TMAC scholars since university involvement in the program began in 1997, Professor Michael T. Manion said, "Each of our TMAC Scholars have exemplified academic excellence, but more importantly have achieved success as students, interns, and professionals through perseverance and hard work. Our TMAC Scholars represent our university well at events in Chicago, they work at--and learn from--their internships, and like Craig Leszczynski at SC Johnson, they find employment at top-notch companies."

Ebeid and Manion thanked TMAC for its generosity. TMAC support has brought more than $27,000 in scholarships to UW-Parkside.

In the top photo, UW-Parkside student Christopher Baratki, center, is shown with Center for Community Partnerships Community Development Director Mark Gesner, left, and Dean Fred Ebeid. In the lower photo, scholarship recipient Matthew Vidas joins Dean Ebeid and Wisconsin Women's Business Initiative Corp. Project Director Heather Lux.

• 
• 
• 

ABOUT THIS STORY:

Story Status: Archived
Publish date: 2/7/2012

MORE UW-P NEWS:

All current news releases
News archive
Ranger Today home