Middlesex CC Foundation Makes Difference in Students’ Lives

One of the biggest barriers students face in getting an education is financial. The Middlesex Community College Foundation helps make college more affordable through scholarships offered in both the Fall and Spring semesters.

“The MCC Foundation is proud to help make getting an education more affordable and accessible to students,” said Barbara Maglio, MCC’s Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations. “Thanks to the generosity of our donors and community partners, students are better able to complete their degrees, transfer to four-year institutions, and enter the workforce with a clear path to successful careers and long-lasting success.”

“Investing in students at Middlesex Community College is investing in the future workforce of the Merrimack Valley,” said Maura D. Sweeney, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer of The Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank. “As an employer, we know that applicants who have a degree from MCC are starting with a strong foundation. Lowell Five is proud to be associated with the college and to join forces to help its students reach their goals.”

The next deadline for students to apply for an MCC Foundation scholarship is Tuesday, February 28. Students can apply for a variety of Spring 2023 options online on the college’s Foundation website. Being awarded a scholarship often makes the difference in a student’s ability to attend school and reach their goals, according to Maglio.

MCC nursing student Mercy Thiongo, who lives in Dracut, received the Fall 2022 James C. and Judith G. Mabry scholarship. A single mother to a daughter, the scholarship allows her to be able to complete her degree and have more time to dedicate to her family.

“Without the scholarship, I would have had to work two jobs and pick up extra shifts in order to pay for my schooling,” she said. “Nursing is a very intensive program that requires a great time commitment that would be impossible without the scholarship. I am grateful that thanks to the scholarship, I can focus on my studies and have some spare time to spend with my daughter.”

From China and now living in Lexington, Maggie Yi came to MCC as an adult student hoping to combine her previous experience in business to a degree in biology. Receiving the Lexington-Concord Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) scholarship and the Markowicz Dundorf scholarship in Fall 2022 provided her with both financial and mental support.

“It’s a big help,” she said. “It’s not only money, but support and encouragement. We know that we are being cared for and we are not alone, so we have the courage to keep going. They want us to be successful.”

Duran Elad, from Ayer, is grateful to have been one of the recipients awarded the Mashu and Abu Alam Scholarship in Fall 2022. The support “made me a step closer to achieving some portion of my goals on my journey,” Elad said.