LFA-IN Scholarship Program

Marlene's education journey, while living with lupus

Marlene was diagnosed with lupus in 1970 and died from her disease in 1977. She worked tirelessly as a keypunch operator and verifier, putting me through school, as I received my MBA in 1975. She hardly complained, doing her part. We bought our first home in early 1977. Marlene signed our papers in her hospital room. She never had a night in her first home. She fought courageously, but the kidney biopsy led to pneumonia for which she seemingly fought off in a great battle, but eventually died there, spending her last 89 days in the hospital. She valued education; she worked hard for education. She had college credits also, along her way. In her honor, in her legacy, please find your education dream.   
                                                                                                      -- Fred Stepanek

Cianna Anderson, a senior at IUPUI majoring in Organizational Leadership and Africana Studies. Cianna is very appreciative to Fred Stepanek for the scholarship: "God is so good! Lupus has not made my life easier by any means. I was diagnosed with SLE/DLE in my freshman year of college in 2017 and it has been a long journey. We are approaching my final semester and soon I will have 2 degrees to show for my hard work! I am so grateful to Mr. Fred Stepanek for honoring his late wife with the Marlene Stepanek Legacy Lupus Scholarship. Finishing school has created a financial burden for me, lupus and fibromyalgia created challenges that impacted my previous scholarship eligibility. This scholarship is helpful and covers some of that gap. This was my best academic semester since beginning my college journey. The best is yet to come!"