Matthew Ross Wanetik
June 20, 1988 - October 3, 2008
The Matthew Ross Wanetik Memorial Scholarship honors the life of Matthew Wanetik, an undergraduate student at Syracuse University from August 2006 until his death from an undetected heart ailment on 3 October 2008 while studying abroad. Matt was a member of the Class of 2010 and participated in our International Relations Learning Community 2006-2007. He was combining his major in International Relations with a major in Political Science and a minor in Global Political Economy.
He was a proud brother of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, performed and booked stand-up comedy through the University Union, played the guitar and piano, and made an effort to enjoy each day and to truly appreciate everyone he met. Matt had a genuine love for his fellow man and participated in many outreach activities; including one Alternate Spring Break trip to New Orleans in Spring 2007 to help with the clean-up effort after Hurricane Katrina.
This award has been created for perpetuity and will annually go to an undergraduate student in the junior year majoring in International Relations and/or Political Science, who is actively engaged in the campus community, and exemplifies Matt's kindness, curiosity, and charm. This engagement might include membership in a learning community, fraternity/sorority, or recognized student organization, and/or participation in community service/volunteer work or off-campus study.
The scholarship committee will consider applications from students who demonstrate financial need, as determined by the Syracuse University Office of Financial Aid.
Please click here to submit your 2023 application. The application deadline is 5pm, March 6th, 2023.
The 2023 award amount could be as great as $4,000.
Matt had a terrific sense of humor, and you can get some sense of this from a Youtube post of a video featuring Matt filmed here on SU campus for a TRF 255 project by his friend Jon Backus. His friends and classmates have compiled this Matthew Wanetik Remembrance Book.pdf in his honor.
Dr. D'Amico's comments from memorial.pdf
Previous Award Winners
2022 - Johany Madrid
2021 - Morgan Markowitz
2020 - Karola Castenada-Garcia
2019 - John Jankovic
2018 - Erin Hamilton
2017 - Taylor Dunne
2016 - Francis Mornecy
2015 - Adriana Curto
2014 - Jesse Montes
2013 - Dylan Lustig