Dedicated to helping students reach success, the Middlesex Community College Foundation awarded over $94,000 in scholarships in a virtual ceremony on Wednesday, November 18. Middlesex and the MCC Foundation are proud to recognize the recipients and donors for their hard work and dedication to education, despite being unable to meet in-person due to COVID-19.
Speaking on behalf of himself and James Henderson, Chairman of the MCC Foundation Board, Dr. James C. Mabry, MCC’s President, highlighted efforts made throughout the college to adapt to new circumstances. He emphasized the importance of remaining virtual – both in coursework and events – to keep everyone safe throughout the pandemic. Calling the event one of his favorites, he is proud to spotlight students and the donors “who help students’ dreams come true.”
“Our students have persevered through challenges that include job loss, health issues and multiple family demands, and have stayed on track to complete their education,” President Mabry said. “Overcoming these challenges makes their commitment to learning all the more inspirational.”
In total, 73 scholarships were awarded to 64 students from 27 cities and town. Scholarships ranged from $500 to $7,000 and were funded by a variety of sources – including memorial donations, local businesses, private foundations and private donors. This year, the average amount each student received was $1,000.
Judy Burke, MCC’s Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, is inspired by these student scholarship winners and the hope they provide for the future. She also understands the value of what these scholarships mean to the donors who created them.
“Thank you to our donors for your generosity, without you we cannot support our students through scholarship,” Burke said. “To the donors who have established scholarships in their loved ones’ names, we know that these scholarships help to carry on their legacy and we will never lose sight of that.”
The MCC Foundation introduced three new scholarships, including the Alumni Association Scholarship, created in honor of a refrain said by many MCC alums, according to Gail Tuzzolo, President of MCC’s Alumni Association and an MCC Foundation Donor – “MCC set us up for success and for great things.'”
“Members of the MCC Alumni Association are a community of compassionate and proud MCC grads and former students who work together to give back to MCC,” Tuzzolo said. “The MCC Alumni Association Scholarship was established to help current MCC students and future alums on their path to success and great things.”
Alex Corcoran and his family established the Bruce Corcoran Scholarship in memory of his father. A proud alum of MCC and Emmanuel College, Corcoran returned to school at age 40 and then 50 to receive an associate and a bachelor’s degree.
“My father always valued the importance of secondary education,” Corcoran said. “Our family wanted to honor his memory by creating a scholarship through the MCC Foundation that allowed us to assist students in our community achieve their dreams through education.”
The Robert Luddy Scholarship was created by his family. His daughter Jennifer Luddy, a former MCC employee, said she “will always have a special place in my heart” for the college.
“This scholarship was given by my family in honor of my father, Robert Luddy,” Luddy said. “While he never had the opportunity to travel, he encouraged me to join the Peace Corps and go to Africa. I received so much from my father, and from my friends in Cameroon where I lived for two years. This scholarship honors Middlesex Community College, my father and the many friends I made through the Peace Corps. Thank you to all!”
The 2020-2021 scholarship recipients include:
Nicole Archibald (Salem, NH) – Emily Boudrot Memorial Scholarship, Geraldine B. Deragon Scholarship
Manneury Arias (Lawrence) – Lexington-Concord Chapter of AFCEA Scholarship
Thomas Barry (Lexington) – Lexington-Concord Chapter of AFCEA Scholarship
Bensu Bastopcu (Lowell) – Spring Event Scholarship, Ely Kumler Family Memorial Scholarship
Shane Bourgeois (Waltham) – Caryl Dundorf Scholarship, Lexington-Concord Chapter of AFCEA Scholarship
Antonietta Carberry (Dracut) – Spring Event Scholarship
Marissa Crue (Hudson) – MCC Foundation Merit Award for Full-Time Students
Daniella Dankwa (Lowell) – Collegiate TRIO Programs Scholarship
Shauna Ehrgott (Winchester) – Kathy Reticker Scholarship
Eleanor Erardi (Boxford) – MCC Foundation Merit Award for Part-Time Students
Christian Ferraro (Wilmington) – Charles and Olga Malvers Memorial Scholarship, Paul Sullivan Scholarship
Myah Folland (Billerica) – James and Dorothy Sullivan Scholarship
Amanda Ganley (Billerica) – MCC Foundation Merit Award for Part-Time Students
Brett Gotthelf (Boxborough) – Carole Cowan Scholarship
Hannah Guillen (Wakefield)– Lexington-Concord Chapter of AFCEA Scholarship
Cassandra Harmon (Billerica) – Kathy Reticker Scholarship
Kelli Harris (Billerica) – Spring Event Scholarship
Leslie Hernandez (Lawrence) – Lexington-Concord Chapter of AFCEA Scholarship
Pichraksmey Hoeu (Lowell) – Lexington-Concord Chapter of AFCEA Scholarship
Daniel Holloway (Shrewsbury) – Spring Event Scholarship
Amy Jussaume (Maynard) – Shirley W. Thidemann Memorial Scholarship
Rosemeen Khalifa (Billerica) – Keri-Lyn (Gleason) Farley Scholarship
Nelli Krutko (Lexington) – Robert Cataldo Scholarship
Ben Lipsey (Bedford) – Robert Minue Scholarship
Sha Liu (Billerica) – New England Woodcarvers (NEWC) Scholarship
Yahaya Lodi (Framingham) – Lura Smith Scholarship
Angelica Louis (Lowell) – Prudence Drake Health Programs Scholarship
Alicia Machado (Lowell) – Unitas Scholarship
Kim Mai (Lynn) – Kim M. Forte Memorial Scholarship
Thuy Nha Uyen Mai (Hudson, NH) – MCC Foundation Merit Award for Full-Time Students
Robin Masi (Concord) – Muriel G. Hervey Memorial Scholarship
Kimberly May (Lowell) – Linda R. Gallagher Scholarship
Malayah Montgomery (Bedford) – Lexington-Concord Chapter of AFCEA Scholarship
Purity Mosonik (Lowell) – MCC Foundation Merit Award for Part-Time Students
Gabriel Muniz (Acton) – MCC Foundation Merit Award for Full-Time Students
Mickey Mwangi (Tyngsborough) – Robert Luddy Scholarship
Sophiah Nanyanzi (Burlington) – Muriel G. Hervey Memorial Scholarship
Lauren Norman (Billerica) – Alumni Association Scholarship
Elizabeth Obleschuk (Lowell) – MCC Foundation Merit Award for Full-Time Students
Aiden (Josh) Paine (Bedford) – Spring Event Scholarship
Cassidy Peinert (Lowell) – James C. Judith G. Mabry Completion Scholarship
Joshua Peters (Dracut) – Securitas Security Scholarship
Leaphea Pin (Lowell) – Bruce J. Corcoran Memorial Scholarship
Odette Pinales (Lawrence) – Aradhya-Beauchemin Arts Scholarship, New England Woodcarvers (NEWC) Scholarship
Aschley Poulard (Lowell) – Deolinda Mello Memorial Scholarship, Lura Smith Scholarship
Rylee Pratt (Billerica) – Paul Sheehy Memorial Scholarship
Vanessa Puga (Dracut) – Instrumentation Laboratory Scholarship
Juliet Quinn (Lowell) – Prudence Drake Health Programs Scholarship
Gabryella Rodrigues (Maynard) – Audrey A. Cogliano Memorial Scholarship
Courtney Roth (Dracut) – Spring Event Scholarship
Thomas Rua (Lawrence) Northeast Association of Realtors (NEAR) Scholarship
Chanmanith Seng (Lowell) – Lexington-Concord Chapter of AFCEA Scholarship
Michelle Shipka (Bedford) – MCC Foundation Merit Award for Part-Time Students, New England Woodcarvers (NEWC) Scholarship
Serena Stack (Burlington) – Collegiate TRIO Programs Scholarship
Rose Steeman (Ayer) – MCC Performing Arts Scholarship, MCC Foundation Merit Award for Full-Time Students
Brooke Stevenson (Winchester) – Securitas Security Scholarship
Marady Thaep (Lowell) – Spring Event Scholarship
Danielle Tran (Wilmington) – Tom McKay Memorial Scholarship
Emma Turnbaugh (Lowell) – MCC Foundation Merit Award for Part-Time Students
Rebecca Winebrenner (Tewksbury) – Markowicz-Dundorf Scholarship
Katelyn Winter (Lowell) – Instrumentation Laboratory Scholarship
Daniel Yepes Gonzalez (Salem, NH) – Prudence Drake Health Programs Scholarship
Johannah Zacharer (Lunenburg) – Catherine L. Goodwin Memorial Scholarship, John Michael Delehanty Memorial Scholarship
Paula Zaldua (Woburn) – Thomas O’Mahony “Spirit of Excellence” Award
For more information about MCC Foundation Scholarships – or to join MCC’s free Alumni Association, contact Amy Lee, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, at 978-656-3028 or leea@middlesex.mass.edu. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/foundation/scholarships for more information.
Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, we educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners. MCC offers more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses – on our campuses in Bedford and Lowell, and online. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!