Vera and Jaroslav Slezak Scholarships
These scholarships honor the memory of Vera Slezak who served for decades as a professor of German and Jaroslav Slezak, a long-serving professor of physics. One scholarship is awarded annually to a sophomore or junior physics major or physics-related minor and another is awarded to a sophomore or junior language major or minor, with preference given to students minoring in German. Language students can request an application packet from Dr. Doreen Blandino.
The Slezak Scholarship was made possible by the generous bequest of Professors Jaroslav and Vera Slezak, who joined the faculty of Saint Vincent College in 1960. Professor Jaroslav Slezak taught Physics and his wife, Vera, taught German and Russian. Vera Slezak’s appointment to the faculty was historic, making her the first female faculty member in the history of Saint Vincent College.
Refusing to join the Communist Party in Czechoslovakia, the Slezaks courageously left everything behind their family, friends, careers, and possessions as they fled to the hills of Austria where they lived “underground,” exhibiting remarkable strength, determination and an unwavering Catholic faith that would culminate in their safe arrival at Saint Vincent College in 1960.
Professors Jaroslav and Vera Slezak were held in high regard by their students and colleagues. They were outstanding professors who had set high standards for academic excellence and character in and outside of the classroom. Generations of students praised the couple because they were compassionate leaders who readily and faithfully served their community and had instilled the development of these traits in their students for several decades.