The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Scholarship to honor teacher
Fundraiser organized in memory of Carol Dolovacky-Bradac, a longtime teacher who died Aug. 22 after cancer battle
A GoFundMe fundraiser in memory of Kirtland Elementary School teacher Carol DolovackyBradac is well on its way to hitting the $50,000 goal to create a scholarship fund in her honor.
Dolovacky-Bradac taught kindergarten and art at Kirtland Elementary for 25 years, and those who knew her say she left a lasting positive impact on many of her students and colleagues. After a two-year battle with cancer, she died on Aug. 22 at 50 years old.
Only two days after being established, the Carol Dolovacky-Bradac Memorial Scholarship fund had already gathered over $26,000 by Aug. 26 from supporting friends, family and organizations.
The scholarship fund will go toward graduating Kirtland seniors who are heading into the trades, or pursuing a career in teaching or nursing.
“She worked hard to maintain strong relationships with students and families as well as friends from far and near. It’s hard to meet anyone in Kirtland who doesn’t know Carol somehow. I know she didn’t plan it, but she became part of the very fabric of the Kirtland community, and she will be greatly missed.”
— Kirtland Elementary School staff member Linn Bowen
Kirtland Schools Superintendent Chad VanArnhem described Dolovacky-Bradac
as “one of the best people I have ever known.”
“When reflecting on her life, I can't think of a more caring, colorful, compassionate, dedicated, positive and hardworking person than Carol Bradac,” VanArnhem said. “Anyone that came into touch with her was better for it.”
Kirtland Elementary staff members Linn Bowen and Julie Bonacci agreed that they felt a scholarship fund for future graduates was a great way to honor the memory of their friend and fellow teacher. Bowen said that Dolovacky-Bradac would often stay in touch with her former students long after they had left her elementary school classroom.
“Carol was a teacher at Kirtland Elementary School for many years, but she had a presence in the other schools on campus as well,” Bowen said. “She kept in touch with students even after they left KES, sometimes through written word, often times through cheering them on from the sidelines at games and events.
“She worked hard to maintain strong relationships with students and families as well as friends from far and near,” Bowen added. “It's hard to meet anyone in Kirtland who doesn't know Carol somehow. I know she didn't plan it, but she became part of the very fabric of the Kirtland community, and she will be greatly missed.”
Bonacci agreed, and added that no matter what she was doing — from stocking the staff soda machine in her personal time to creating meaningful lesson plans — Dolovacky-Bradac was always trying to bring a smile to those around her.
“The motivation behind her attention to detail was one of love and compassion; she was always thinking of others first and how to make their day a little better as well as to show her care and appreciation for them,” Bonacci said.
“She taught her students as if they were her own, and was beloved by parents and students alike. Her love for her family was limitless, and she ended many conversations with, ‘have a blessed day.' ”