Stephen’s Story

From the age of 2 I started having seizures due to having German measles, which turned out to be encephalitis. I had petit mal epilepsy (which was diagnosed) and was held back in 3rd grade. When I entered 4th grade, I had a teacher who observed me and she told my parents to see a neurologist. I began to receive better grades and by the end of 6th grade became a straight-A student.

Things changed for me as a teenager. I had a traumatic brain injury in my teens and I started having tonic clonic seizures. After many falls, injuries, and hospital stays, I finally was able to get my seizures under control. I made up my mind to go to college to study Culinary and Baking, Hotel and Restaurant management. While at college I worked with the college ADA department and was the President of the Students with Disabilities Club. While attending college I was able to receive a Scholarship from UCB that gave me the financial assistance to finish my schooling

I started The Stephen Piorkowski Scholarship for Epilepsy. To fund this scholarship, I use my baking skills to raise donations and epilepsy awareness. My goal is to send other students with epilepsy to college with scholarships. In our 6th year we were able to send 8 students to college.

To finish, epilepsy is a developmental disability, so don’t become discouraged. I finished my education at 63 because there where challenges that I had to overcome.