Norwalk Community College and 460 Foundation Honor CSCU President

March 11, 2022— Norwalk, CT: Recognizing the needs of local students struggling with the high cost of attaining a college degree, the 460 Foundation made a generous gift of $100,000 with the intent to endow a scholarship at the Norwalk Community College Foundation in honor of Connecticut State Colleges and Universities President Terrence Cheng. The scholarship will be awarded annually to qualified Norwalk Community College students. A celebratory event was held at Norwalk Community College’s William H. Schwab Center for Information Technology Atrium on March 10th to welcome the new President to the CSCU System and to announce the endowed Cheng Family - 460 Foundation Scholarship.

Norwalk Community College CEO Cheryl DeVonish welcomed President Cheng and distinguished guests to the college, noting that, “in so many ways, because he is a first-generation college student who emigrated to the U.S. as a young child, President Cheng embodies the spirit of NCC students, and all our community college students. It is a delight to officially welcome President Cheng to this position and to honor and recognize all of his accomplishments with the Cheng Family -460 Foundation Scholarship.”

Carrie Bernier, President and CEO of the NCC Foundation, noted that “The Foundation is tremendously grateful to the 460 Foundation for this endowed scholarship in honor of President Cheng. Given President Cheng’s long career in higher education, his commitment to Connecticut’s college students, and his dedication to the community college system, this honor is well-deserved. We are thrilled to steward this scholarship fund as a part of our financial commitment to students at NCC. This gift is a wonderful example of the strength of the Foundation’s partnerships with community members and donors who have so generously supported students here for over 50 years. The scholarship’s first recipient, Brandon Dass, is an academically gifted young man, and he and his family are proud of his accomplishments and especially excited that he is the first scholar to be awarded by this fund.”

Reflecting upon the similarities between Brandon’s journey to higher education and his own, President Cheng shared that he was moved by the honor of a named scholarship. “The joy for me, and why I love coming to work every day, is that we are in a human business, the business of trying to make people better, and when we make people better, we make communities better. There is no value you can put on this work. The value is infinite. It means everything. I am grateful to Jon Gold and the 460 Foundation for this incredible endowment that will be here, helping students long after we are gone.”

For those who wish to help Norwalk Community College students achieve their academic and professional goals, a gift to the NCC Foundation can be made at ncc-foundation.org/donate.

NCC CEO Cheryl DeVonish and NCCF President and CEO Carrie Bernier are available for media inquiries regarding this announcement at any time.

About the Norwalk Community College Foundation

The Norwalk Community College Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports expanding access to affordable, quality higher education, the development of a productive workforce, and contributing to the knowledge and well-being of our community by raising funds for Norwalk Community College.

The Foundation works with individuals, major corporations, and local organizations to develop new initiatives and educational partnerships that inspire and engage our community to share talents and resources. With assistance from generous donors, the NCC Foundation provides over $3 million annually in scholarships, faculty and program support, and student success initiatives. For more information, please visit www.ncc-foundation.org.