MCC Foundation Awards Student Scholarships in In-Person Ceremony

During the Fall 2021 Scholarship Awards, Middlesex Community College President Phil Sisson emphasized the college’s mission of providing “equitable and accessible opportunities for all of our students in ways that meet their needs and goals.”

Funded by generous donors – and led by the Middlesex Community College Foundation – student scholarships are an important example of how Middlesex supports students on their paths.

“One major obstacle we know our students face is financial,” President Sisson said. “Scholarships help alleviate this burden, helping students to focus on completing their studies, which in turn leads to successful academic growth and higher graduation rates.”

Hosted by the MCC Foundation and MCC’s Advancement Division, the special event was held outside on the college’s Bedford campus on Tuesday, October 19. A total of $143,000 was given out over 79 awards to 66 student scholars from 28 different cities and towns in Massachusetts.

Scholarships ranged from $500 to $7,000 – for an average of $1,000 per student – and were funded by a variety of sources, including memorial donations, local businesses, private foundations and private donors.

The Presidential Equity Promise Scholarship – established in honor of President Sisson becoming the college’s fifth president – awarded its first scholarship to MCC Psychology student Julia Gaitho from Lowell. The scholarship seeks to assist Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students to achieve their dream of a college education and provides funds to close their financial aid gaps in expenses related to completing their Middlesex program.

“It is with your support,” President Sisson said, “that we are able to provide Julia with funding, foundational knowledge and skills, and guidance to follow her dreams.”

The Lowell Five Bank Scholarship is also new this year, created by Lowell Five to assist a student in MCC’s Business, Legal Studies and Public Service programs. The scholarship was awarded to Business Administration – Accounting student Yue Zhang from Lexington. Cheryl Popp, Lowell Five’s Vice President/Business Development Office, enjoyed sitting with Zhang and hearing about the impact the scholarship will have on her future plans.

“By providing funds, students have the ability to afford higher education and to pursue a college education that may have only been a dream,” Popp said. “We are happy to be a part of this event and look forward to future years.”

From Chelmsford, MCC Business Administration – Transfer student Tyler Galvin was awarded the Thomas O’Mahony “Spirit of Excellence” Award. Established by the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA), the scholarship is awarded to a student in a business-related program and recognizes AFCEA member Thomas O’Mahony for his devotion to the pursuit of learning and educational excellence.

“I have been working hard to complete my education, work to pay for school, and plan my future careers and education plans,” Galvin said. “Next spring, I am transferring to UMass Amherst and I am seeing how the cost of my education is quickly going to grow. The Thomas O’Mahony ‘Spirit of Excellence’ is allowing me to focus on classes and look forward to the future without feeling as much of a financial burden.”

The 2021-2022 scholarship recipients include:

Tales Araujo Mota (Lowell) – Juniper Scholars Scholarship Pilot Program

Amina Bangura (Lowell) – Lura Smith Scholarship

Kwadwo Bempah (Lowell) – Juniper Scholars Scholarship Pilot Program

Kevin Burkett (Woburn) – New England Woodcarvers (NEWC) Scholarship

Ange Chhim (Lowell) – Middlesex Community College Foundation Merit Award for Full-Time Students

Dan Choy (Lexington) – Lexington-Concord Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) Scholarship

Karter Cordeiro (Bedford) – Collegiate TRIO Programs Scholarship

Erica Cova (Somerville) – Middlesex Community College Foundation Merit Award for Full-Time Students

Brian Cox (Burlington) – Lexington-Concord Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) Scholarship

Stacy Craig (Lowell) – Prudence Drake Health Programs Scholarship

Amina Dadou (Lexington) – Spring Event Scholarship

Daniella Dankwa (Lowell) – Werfen/Instrumentation Laboratory Scholarship

Rachel DeNapoli (Rockland) – Emily Boudrot Memorial Scholarship & Prudence Drake Health Programs Scholarship

Esra Eisa (North Chelmsford) – Lexington-Concord Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) Scholarship & Lura Smith Scholarship

Wyatt Fajkowski (Winchester) – Spring Event Scholarship

Joao Vitor Fonseca (Winchester) – Audrey A. Cogliano Memorial Scholarship

Nicole Fu (Lexington) – Robert Cataldo Scholarship

Julia Gaitho (Lowell) – Presidential Equity Promise Scholarship

Tyler Galvin (Chelmsford) – Thomas O’Mahony “Spirit of Excellence” Award

Yan Gao (Westford) – Middlesex Community College Foundation Merit Award for Part-Time Students

Musu Gaye (Lowell) – John Keough Award

Claire Goodrich (Townsend) – Spring Event Scholarship

Hannah Gould (Billerica) – James and Dorothy Sullivan Scholarship & Keri-Lyn (Gleason) Farley Scholarship

Hannah Guillen (Wakefield) – Juniper Scholars Scholarship Pilot Program

Cassandra Harmon (North Billerica) – Kathy Reticker Scholarship

Pichraksmey Hoeu (Lowell) – Lexington-Concord Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) Scholarship & Tom McKay Memorial Scholarship

Catherine Houle (Lowell) – Catherine L. Goodwin Memorial Scholarship

Heangsodalys Krin (Lowell) – Middlesex Community College Foundation Merit Award for Full-Time Students & New England Woodcarvers (NEWC) Scholarship

Nelli Krutko (Lexington) – Paul Sheehy Memorial Scholarship

Helen La (Tynsgboro) – Middlesex Fund Scholarship in honor of Chea Uy

Sabrina Lewis (Lowell) – John Keough Award

Haixia Ma (Lowell) – Northeast Association of Realtors (NEAR) Scholarship

Merilyn Mbombo (Lowell) – James C. & Judith G. Mabry Scholarship

Patrick McRobbie (Methuen) – Lexington-Concord Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) Scholarship

Amira Moawad (Acton) – James C. & Judith G. Mabry Scholarship

Sovanthida Morn (Lowell) – Markowicz-Dundorf Scholarship & Middlesex Community College Foundation Merit Award for Full-Time Students

Davina Mwangi (Lowell) ­– Lura Smith Scholarship

Antoinette Nalionge (Dracut) – Muriel G. Hervey Memorial Scholarship & Robert Luddy Scholarship

Matthew Nikkel-Dumyahn (Stoneham) – Prudence Drake Health Programs Scholarship

Chris North (Arlington) – Alumni Association Scholarship

Elizabeth Obleschuk (Lowell) – Middlesex Community College Foundation Merit Award for Part-Time Students

Karie Ociepka (Lowell) ­ Aradhya-Beauchemin Arts Scholarship

Kristina O’Halloran (Dracut) – Shirley W. Thidemann Memorial Scholarship

Raul Olivares (Chelmsford) – Juniper Scholars Scholarship Pilot Program

Vraj Patel (Billerica) – Werfen/Instrumentation Laboratory Scholarship

Crismely Paulino (Lawrence) – Kim M. Forte Memorial Scholarship

Analice Pizzo Martins (Lowell) – Deolinda Mello Memorial Scholarship & Tom McKay Memorial Scholarship

Michael Plomondon (North Reading) – Caryl Dundorf Scholarship

Casey Revilla (Somerville) – Prudence Drake Health Programs Scholarship

Derek Rodman (Burlington) – Spring Event Scholarship

Thomas Rua (Lawrence) – Lexington-Concord Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) Scholarship & Middlesex Community College Foundation Merit Award for Full-Time Students

Mital Sanariya (Wilmington) – Charles and Olga Malvers Memorial Scholarship & Support Staff Scholarship

Chantal Serret (North Andover) – Muriel G. Hervey Memorial Scholarship

Alicia Silva (Lowell) – Unitas Scholarship

Brooke Stevenson (Winchester) – Securitas Security Scholarship

Renee Surrette (Bedford) – Tom McKay Memorial Scholarship

Hisen Teker (Acton) – Muriel G. Hervey Memorial Scholarship

Chloe Thomas (Sudbury) – Spring Event Scholarship

Leticia Torres (Haverhill) – Collegiate TRIO Programs Scholarship

Samantha Turcotte (Dracut) ­– Middlesex Community College Foundation Merit Award for Part-Time Students & Paul Sullivan Scholarship

Ella Wang (Shirley) – Kathy Reticker Scholarship

Katelyn Winter (Lowell) – Bruce J. Corcoran Memorial Scholarship & Lexington-Concord Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) Scholarship

Susan Woods (Reading) – Leah N. Knowlton Memorial Scholarship

Johannah Zacharer (Lunenburg) – Geraldine B. Deragon Scholarship & John Michael Delehanty Memorial Scholarship

Yue Zhang (Lexington) – Lowell Five Scholarship

Yu Zhang (Lawrence) – Prudence Drake Health Programs Scholarship

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.

MCC’s Mini-mester II starts on Monday, November 1. To take advantage of this opportunity and get started on a path to an education or new career, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/ or call 1-800-818-3434 for more information and to register for the Fall 2021 semester at Middlesex.

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 education for more than 50 years. Middlesex puts the student first. Meeting each learner where they are, MCC provides them with a safe, welcoming and engaging place to learn. Offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses – Middlesex features flexible course formats and a variety of award-winning student support services and resources. Student success starts at MCC!