During the Fall 2024 Scholarship Ceremony, Middlesex Community College students received financial awards to help them afford the costs of attending college. A total of $197,030 was awarded to 92 students at the event held on MCC’s Bedford Campus on Thursday, November 7.
“I am ecstatic to be awarded the scholarship,” said Orobosa Igbinovia, an MCC student from Lowell. “As a computer science major, my course load demands intense focus and preparation, and this scholarship provides the financial peace of mind I need to dedicate myself fully to my classes. I'm extremely grateful to Middlesex for the support it has provided through this scholarship. It will go a long way in ensuring my success.”
Igbinovia was the recipient of the Presidential Equity Promise Scholarship. Established in honor of Phil Sisson becoming the college’s fifth president, the scholarship assists BIPOC students to achieve their dream of a college education and closes financial aid gaps in expenses related to completing their MCC program. Igbinovia also received the Dr. David M. Kalivas Honors Scholarship created in honor of Dr. Kalivas’s 40 years of service to MCC and in support of students from MCC’s Commonwealth Honors Program.
Jane Liu, of Lexington, received the Robert Cataldo Scholarship in honor of Cataldo and his commitment to the community and MCC. Liu also received the Shirley W. Thidemann Memorial Scholarship in honor of Thidemann, an MCC alumna and her contribution to the social services field. A liberal arts and sciences major at Middlesex, Liu will transfer to UMass Amherst as a psychology major in the spring.
“I am a first generation U.S. citizen and am the first in my family to attend college,” Liu said. “I'm also disabled and have been unable to work recently due to my condition worsening. The money from these scholarships took a huge burden off my shoulders and has allowed me to concentrate on my studies without worries.”
MCC Elementary Education student Emma Skelton, of Billerica, was awarded the Dr. Ellen B. Decker Memorial Scholarship to recognize Dr. Decker and her devotion to the pursuit of learning and educational excellence in public city education. Skelton was also the recipient of the Keri-Lyn (Gleason) Farley Scholarship in honor of (Gleason) Farley with the intention to support a female elementary education major planning to transfer to a four-year school to become a teacher.
“I feel extremely proud,” Skelton said. “I have very high standards for my grades, and it is an honor to be seen as a hard worker. I have been balancing full-time employment and excessive hours studying in addition to classroom time and commuting. These scholarships allow me to invest more time in my studies without trying to balance overtime work hours. I have gained confidence, life experience as a commuter, and knowledge while attending MCC.”
Led by the Middlesex Community College Foundation, scholarships are funded by generous donors, including memorial donations, local businesses, private foundations and private donors. The 113 scholarships ranged from $500 to $800 and were handed out to students from 37 cities and towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
“The scholarship ceremony is one of my favorite events of the year,” said Barbara Maglio, MCC’s Director of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving. “It’s a special time to recognize the achievements of our students, generous donors, and community partners – individuals who selflessly sponsor scholarships that help our students achieve their educational dreams and enter the workforce with a clear path to successful careers and long-lasting success.”
The 2024-2025 scholarship recipients include:
Aldersgate UMC, Chelmsford, Scholarship – Adesuwa Onyekwena
Alumni Association Scholarship – Livia Ferreira
Aradhya-Beauchemin Arts Scholarship – Aaron Colbert & Nicole Fisk
Audrey A. Cogliano Memorial Scholarship – Pichpisey Eng
Barbara B. Saloom Scholarship for Incoming Students – Kayla Breen
Bruce J. Corcoran Memorial Scholarship – Richard Silvio
Carole A. Cowan CHP Award – Maria Clara Castro
Caryl Dundorf Scholarship – Jeffery Montes
Catherine Goodwin Memorial Scholarship – Paul Melkonian
Charles and Olga Malvers Memorial Scholarship – Diane Hernandez
Collegiate TRIO Programs Scholarship - Program for Student Achievement (PSA) – Chris Kankam
Collegiate TRIO Programs Scholarship - Student Success Program – Darie Martinez
Debra Chemelli Evans Scholarship – Lisa Tohline
Delta Dental of Massachusetts Scholarship in honor of Dennis J. Leonard – Kethelly Guilherme Dias & Thanh Nhu
Deolinda Mello Memorial Scholarship – Tracie Du
Dr. David M. Kalivas Honors Scholarship – Orobosa Igbinovia
Dr. Ellen B. Decker Memorial Scholarship – Emma Skelton
Dr. Michael R. Tramonte Scholarship – Jaeson Scott
Emily Boudrot Memorial Scholarship – Sharon Nagadya
Geraldine B. Deragon Scholarship – Jennifer Guerra
Hope & Healing Scholarship – Samantha Burke & Faith Dominguez
Howard Legacy of Hope Scholarship – Dejonge Mutingamo, Abel Nere & Adesuwa Onyekwena
James and Dorothy Sullivan Scholarship – Lisa Tohline
James C. & Judith G. Mabry Completion Scholarship – Sarah Alzate Perez
John Keough Award - Anna Maria Hamel & Deanna Moore
Juniper Scholars Scholarship Pilot Program – Nnadubem Ganobi & Owen Mawanda
Karen N. Frederick Scholarship – Sharon Cardona
Kathy Reticker Scholarship – Malissa Colon & Casey MacKenzie
Keri-Lyn (Gleason) Farley Scholarship – Emma Skelton
Kim M. Forte Memorial Scholarship – Jessica D’Amico
Kumler Family CHP Award – Lila Ablimit
Leah N. Knowlton Memorial Scholarship – Chanranchannie Nong
Lexington-Concord Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) Scholarship – Mina Antounious, Vimean Botum Chea, Kris Claudio-Hernandez, Angel De La Portilla Cardenas, Lyanna Johnson, Notfaza Karim, Romanpreet Kaur, Nosa Osaretin
Lexington-Concord Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) Scholarship in Honor of Claire Goulet – Tithida Veng
Lexington-Concord Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA) Scholarship – Veteran – Ernest Pough
Linda R. Gallagher Nursing Scholarship – Stephanie Kem
Living the Dream Partners Scholarship – Ernest Pough
Lowell Five Scholarship – Christian Tims
Luis M. Pedroso Immigrant Scholarship – Emily Brown, Tracie Du, Nancy Hoang, Jaiden Ros
Lura Smith Scholarship – Ambriel Mayhew & Chinna Udoji
Marie Ryder Beacon of Hope Scholarship – Stephanie Kem
Markowicz-Dundorf Scholarship – Angel De La Portilla Cardenas
Maryanne M. Mungovan Memorial Scholarship – Maliza Sun
Mashu and Abu Alam Scholarship – Paul Kumah
Maureen Silveria Strauss Dental Hygiene Scholarship – Thanh Nhu
Middlesex Community College Foundation Merit Award for Full-Time Students – Jaden Donahue, Lucia Martinkus, Jolie Wu
Middlesex Community College Foundation Merit Award for Full-Time Students in Honor of Amy Cahill Lee – Dania Farah
Middlesex Community College Foundation Merit Award for Part-Time Students – Ginna Crawford, Livia Ferreira, Zainab Hussaini, Deanna Moore, Youngsin Park
Muriel G. Hervey Memorial Scholarship – Harley Jones, Kai Martinez & Samantha Moran
New England Woodcarvers (NEWC) Scholarship – Aaron Colbert & Alexandra Ostrowski
Northeast Association of Realtors (NEAR) Scholarship – Fabiana “Valentina” Pena
Patricia R. Cahalane Memorial Scholarship – Theany Kry
Paul Sheehy Memorial Scholarship – Samantha Sanford
Paul Sullivan Scholarship – Chris Kankam
Presidential Equity Promise Scholarship – Vimean Botum Chea, Orobosa Igbinovia, Yiselys Lopez, Kyrone Lor & Darie Martinez
Prudence Drake Health Programs Scholarship – Jessica D’Amico, Jaden Donahue, Caitlin Fallier, Estefany Peguero Medrano & Elizabeth Stephens
Ralph and Loretta Steeves Memorial Scholarship – Caitlin Fallier
Robert Cataldo Scholarship – Brianna Bennett-Karshbaum & Jane Liu
Sarem Neou Cambodian Amercian Scholarship – David Suon
Shirley W. Thidemann Memorial Scholarship – Jane Liu
Support Staff Scholarship – Brandon Merullo
The TJX Companies Scholarship – Diane Hernandez
Thomas O'Mahony "Spirit of Excellence" Award – Eangpheng Ea
Tom McKay Memorial Scholarship – Emily Weinberg
Trooper Tamar Bucci Criminal Justice Scholarship – Alyssa Baker
Unitas Scholarship – Kris Claudio-Hernandez
Verena Stair Memorial Scholarship – Marley Williams
Warren-Wharton-Sullivan Scholarship – Makaylah Barnett
Werfen Scholarship – Monyuddam Chheang, Angie Lee, Karina Vangel & Saryna Vith