TWU Member Pursues Urban Planning Degree with Help of Union Plus Scholarship

This past fall, Transport Workers Union (TWU) member Gregory Harasym began a master’s program in city and regional planning with a concentration in transportation. He intends to examine alternative transportation methods to address community-level health and social injustices; and he hopes to eventually be a specialist in this field, focusing on policy for the Department of Transportation. His career direction changed in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which deeply impacted his community and left him passionate about helping communities become resilient to future disasters.

Harasym’s father, a New York City transit worker, died when he was 16 and the TWU pension made it possible for his mother to raise him and his younger brother. “My passion for public service has led me to pursue a master’s degree in urban planning, and my TWU membership and my father’s [membership] have afforded me the ability to do so,” Harasym said.

The Union Plus Scholarship Program awards scholarships based on outstanding academic achievement, personal character, financial need, and commitment to the values of organized labor. Union Plus Scholarship awards are granted to students attending a two-year college, four-year college, graduate school, or recognized technical or trade school. Visit UnionPlus.org/Scholarship for applications and benefit eligibility. The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2021.