The winners of this year’s Ted Swietlik “Heart of a Dragon Scholarship” are Lake Orion High School students Anthony Schulte and Madison Merrell.

The scholarship was established seven years ago by the Television Production Workshop (TPW) alumni in memory of Ted Swietlik, a 2014 graduate of Lake Orion High School.

Ted was a two-year member of TPW at the high school and participated in many of the broadcasting classes. He spent a lot of his time in the TPW studio and classroom as he pursued his dream of being a sports broadcaster, said Karen Swietlik, Ted’s mother.

Ted had a congenital heart defect and is the first-ever TPW alumni to pass away in the program’s 30-year history. He had a passion for life and a heart of gold. He was proud to be a Lake Orion Dragon and a member of the TPW family, Karen said.

“In spite of the limitations caused by his heart problems, Ted contributed hundreds of service hours to the community. It was very important to Ted to help others in need. This scholarship is given to one or two current TPW students each year who exhibit similar ambitions and values as Ted,” Karen said.
The winners are chosen by the Swietlik family.

“This year we decided that there were two individuals that exemplified Ted’s best characteristics as well had passion for everything they were involved in. We believe they both embody the heart of a dragon,” Karen said.
Schulte and Merrell were asked what defines the Heart of a Dragon?

“In my eyes, it is someone who without doubt shows a passion and compassion for that and those around them,” said Schulte, who, just like Ted, has a love of sports broadcasting.

Merrell said having the Heart of a Dragon is “About what you do for others, how you lift up the community and making Lake Orion a better place.” Madison has used her talents and enthusiasm to benefit the community through many different service projects.

Both Schulte and Merrell plan to continue their education in broadcasting.

The “Heart of a Dragon” scholarship is funded by the TPW alumni. Anyone who would like to contribute to the scholarship can go to https://parent.payschools.com/cat.asp?id=C77F8716D2A64460846A6AAF55F9600F.