Middlesex Community College: Middlesex CC Foundation Awards Student Scholarships

Press release from the Middlesex Community College:

Caitlin Buckley

4/1/2021

With a mission to support student success, the Middlesex Community College Foundation strives to help make education more affordable and accessible for Middlesex students through scholarships. In the Spring 2021 semester, the MCC Foundation awarded nine scholarships to students in nursing, paralegal studies and health programs.

“The MCC Foundation is proud to support our students through the many scholarship opportunities offered by the college,” said Sherri McCormack, Dean of Advancements. “This spring, the nine awards presented helped students to enhance their educational experience and achieve their academic goals.”

McCormack encourages students to use the common scholarship application to apply for scholarships as there are several opportunities available. Financial assistance can help relieve the burden of added stress so students can better focus on their studies and complete their programs.

MCC’s Nursing Department established The Marie Ryder Beacon of Hope Scholarship to honor Ryder’s retirement, who served as an MCC Nursing Professor for 40 years. This year, the scholarship was awarded to Nursing student Erica Paddock of Methuen.

As she nears graduation from the program, Paddock looks forward to a future of caring for service members like her husband. She is grateful for the community Middlesex provided, as well as for helping her grow more confident and capable as a student.

“Receiving this scholarship aids in the financial obligations that come along with furthering one's education,” she said. “I am now motivated more than ever to complete my nursing program and transition into a BSN certified nurse. I can only hope to make MCC and the Beacon of Hope Scholarship Foundation proud of the nurse I will become.”

Established due to her support of MCC’s paralegal students, The Muriel G. Hervey Memorial Scholarship was awarded to paralegal students Tammy De Sola of Arlington, Stephen Deninger of Phillipston and Kristen Wolf of Haverhill.

Deninger feels prepared for his new career thanks to Middlesex – from the knowledge he learned in his classes to the experiences he received in his internships. As the pandemic caused financial stress for him, the scholarship he received is enabling him to graduate on time in Spring 2021.

“This scholarship could not come at a more advantageous time,” he said. “This scholarship will be the life preserver that I need to make it to the other side of this semester and into the workforce as a paralegal.”

The Prudence Drake Health Programs Scholarship was established in honor of the care Drake received from MCC students while at the Carleton-Willard Village Residential Home in Bedford. This year’s recipients include Catherine Cullen of Acton, Nicole DeFranzo of Burlington, Arlin Estevez of Lawrence, Ashik Tamang of Lowell and Daniel Yepes Gonzalez of Salem, N.H.

A Dental Hygiene program student, Estevez is completing her final semester. During her time at Middlesex, she has balanced her studies with working as an Assistant Manager at Market Basket and as a Supplemental Instruction Leader at MCC. After graduating, she hopes to continue her education to earn a bachelor’s degree in public health.

“This scholarship will be helpful for me to continue my education,” she said. “It gave me more motivation to move forward. In fact, I will take advantage of this award and use it productively. I appreciate your support for my education, which is my main priority for my future.”

The MCC Foundation raises funds to go towards helping students have academic, personal and professional success. In addition to providing students with financial assistance, scholarships go towards grants for programs, equipment, abroad opportunities, entrepreneurship and technology; fundraising campaigns to renovate and build state-of-the-art facilities; and special events and activities that make MCC and its students, faculty and staff a fixture in the community.

Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/foundation/donations for more information on how to support students and to make a donation to the above and other scholarships.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in online education for more than 20 years. We educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners, offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!

This press release was produced by the Middlesex Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.