The Malvina Bojda Oberman Scholarship Fund was created to honor the life and legacy of Malvina and the values she passed down through generations. The following personal story explains the inspiration behind the scholarship and its lasting purpose.
Malvina Magdalena Bojda was born in 1896 in Sarzyna, Southeastern Poland, the oldest of 6 children. In 1912 at the age of 16 she had an opportunity to immigrate to the United States, the only member of her family to do so. Entering through Ellis Island, she traveled to Auburn, New York where she found work at one of the twine factories in the region. She became good friends with a woman whose brother, Jan Oberman, she married in 1915.
The couple started their family in Auburn. As Jan struggled to find steady work amidst factory strikes, the growing family moved between cities near Auburn and Youngstown, Ohio, where they eventually settled on the South Side of the city. Jan worked in Youngstown’s steel mills and Malvina supplemented their income working as a laundress as their family grew to 8 children. Jan often found himself out of work as steel mill strikes were frequent. Money was tight, and they often moved around the city in search of affordable rent.
But Malvina held her family together during challenging times. She was resourceful, quick-witted, and shrewd, making the most of whatever she had. As Malvina’s children recalled: “We were poor in those days, but we felt rich because our home was always full of music, laughter, and our mother’s love.” Her family grew to include eighteen grandchildren and generations of descendants. Malvina died in 1975 surrounded by her loving family.
In her day, pursuing a formal education was never an option for immigrant women like Malvina. It is in her honor that this scholarship was founded so that others may benefit from a scholastic opportunity that she could never have imagined.