Hedy Cohen is a remarkable woman. I’ve known her for awhile. I knew she taught at Harold Washington College, and somewhere along the way I heard that she ran this small scholarship program. But, frankly, she was so quiet about it that I never gave it much thought. Then I started to hear about the ways that she gets involved in the lives of these adult students. And then a met a few of them and I saw that her relationship with the students is a lovely and effective mix of friend and mother and nudge and advisor.
I think there is one problem with my portrait of Hedy and the Bardwell Scholarship Program. Watching it, you might get the idea that she funds all this herself. Maybe she got rich from life insurance or a court settlement after her husband’s death. Not true. She does contribute some of her own money, but most of the funds come from private donors.
If you want to find out more about the Bardwell Scholars, and maybe help her keep it going, go to her website.
