Thanks to the generosity of long-time Bushwackers supporters, the Bushwackers Drum Corps is pleased to announce the recipients of the James and Amy Borowicz Scholarship!
Last summer James, Amy and their daughter Cassidy followed the corps to many shows including flying to championship weekend in Rochester, New York. They were very impressed by the hard work and dedication of the members and were thrilled to be part of the celebration of the success as the Bushwackers returned to be a 2016 finalist in DCA.
The James and Amy Borowicz Scholarship is designed to help perpetuate the membership of the Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps by awarding a full year scholarship to up to four returning members.
We are excited to now introduce all four recipients of the James and Amy Borowicz Scholarship.
Front Ensemble: Mike O’Leary.
Mike O’Leary is in his third season with the Bushwackers, and is one of our front ensemble section leaders this year.
“Being a Bushwacker has really impacted my life and changed me as a person forever. I learned many lessons over the course of the last two seasons. The biggest lesson I learned is to never hold anything back.”
“So, What does being a Bushwacker mean? It means a willingness to achieve the feeling that we all strive to feel in the activity that has brought us together. The same feeling we feel when we play a loud chord, or when the snare roll that we’ve been working on all summer long is clean, or when we sing the corps song. The Bushwackers are my family.”
Battery: Michelle Sapp.
Michelle Sapp is in her third season with the Bushwackers, and is our section leader for the cymbals.
“Being a Bushwacker means you persevere through anything thrown your way, you push and give it your 110% best every rep, you take that field with the intentions of ruining summers, and last but not least, you’re there to have The Perfect Year with some of the greatest people you’ll ever meet in a lifetime.”
“I started here in 2015 with no experience whatsoever with outdoor. I was terrified, scared, and ready to quit. If it weren’t for the people around me I don’t know how I would have been able to push through. The endless support and help was astonishing. I’ve never seen a group like this, and boy am I so grateful to be apart of this. Magenta and Blue is in my blood and I couldn’t be any prouder to be a part of this special place.”
Brass: Mark Jenkins.
Mark Jenkins just began his second season with the Bushwackers, playing tuba this summer.
“Being a Bushwacker means dedication and strength. Dedication to the corps… and doing things like making a several hour drive to New Jersey every weekend to get better.”
“Strength to not only hold an instrument, move a prop, etc. but mental strength to know that I can stay set, I can learn the drill and music… and that I have the strength to help this corps.”
Color Guard: Nyera Hamid.
Nyera Hamid is in her second year with the Bushwackers as a member of the color guard.
“What being a Bushwackers means to me is being able to pursue your wildest dreams; it means to find your roots, and internalize your growth… [At first] I had no faith in myself in and out of guard… I pushed myself to come out to open house in 2015, because I felt the pride and courage to be a Bushwacker from former and present members.”
“I continued through the pain and emotional distress that I was feeling from the past year. At last, I persisted and made it to finals… I thank [my mother] for letting me continue, because being a Bushwacker has helped me grow and utilize my internal locus of control. Being a Bushwacker brought out the confidence I never knew I could ever harness.”
Congratulations to the recipients, and thank you to our supporters, James, Amy, and Cassidy Borowicz, without whom some of our members might not be able to participate this summer.