Regina and Frank Chema Endowed Scholarship for the School of Social Work

The Regina and Frank Chema Endowed Scholarship for the School of Social Work was established in 2008 by Regina Chema. Mrs. Chema graduated from The University of Akron in 1942 with a B.S. degree in Education. Her husband Frank, whom she met at the Student Center, also attended the University. Mr. Chema joined the Air Force and remained in the service until World War II ended. His record of honors will be placed at the MAPS air museum.

Upon graduation, Mrs. Chema started her career as a school teacher in Peninsula, Ohio. Although she enjoyed teaching and was well respected for her classroom and administrative skills, Mrs. Chema left teaching at Boston Township to work as a lab technician at Goodyear’s synthetic rubber laboratory.

When the war ended, Mrs. Chema applied and was accepted at Children Services Board, which at that time was called the “Children’s Home.” Mrs. Chema worked from 1946 until October 1991 under five executive directors. They were the envy of many agencies during the 1960s and 1970s and attended national and state conferences, classes at Case Western Reserve University, and had many of the best in the field giving seminars at the agency. Their committee wrote a paper which appeared in the journal “Child Welfare.” Mrs. Chema worked in many areas, from intake to adoption, and was the liaison for the adoption resource exchange. Mrs. Chema’s last job was liaison between alumni and families seeking one another. Records of contacts were kept and mutual requests allowed them to put people together. Many reunions were happy—some were not. During her 45-year career with the Children Services Board, Mrs. Chema dedicated herself to advocating a better life for children and families in the foster care and adoption system in Summit County, Ohio.

The purpose of The Regina and Frank Chema Endowed Scholarship for the School of Social Work is to provide an annual scholarship for undergraduate students majoring in social work. The recipients of The Regina and Frank Chema Endowed Scholarship for the School of Social Work shall be selected annually by the director of the School of Social Work in coordination with the Office of Student Financial Aid. The scholarship is renewable. Preference in awarding the scholarship will be given to first generation college students on the basis of financial need.