Awardees Celebrated
HCC Foundation awards $400K in scholarships
The Holyoke Community College Foundation has awarded close to $400,000 in scholarships to students for the 2022-2023 academic year.
The scholarship awardees – and the donors who make those scholarships possible – were celebrated at a Nov. 9 reception in the HCC Campus Center.
This year, the HCC Foundation awarded 337 scholarships worth close to $400,000 to 239 incoming, current, and transferring HCC students. Many students received multiple scholarship awards.
"The HCC Foundation was established over half a century ago in order to keep the dream of an affordable, accessible, high-quality education alive to create opportunities for students of all ages, from all backgrounds, and to inspire those students to achieve their dreams," said Amanda Sbriscia, vice president of Institutional Advancement and executive director or the HCC Foundation.
Sbriscia noted that over the last two and a half years, as HCC and the world navigated a global pandemic, nearly 30 new scholarships were established through the HCC Foundation, enabling the Foundation to award more money than ever before.
"I'm honored and humbled to have been a scholarship recipient this year," said student speaker Meagan Rodriguez, a Springfield resident who is studying veterinary and animal science at HCC. "My time at HCC has been nothing short of transformative. I'm so grateful to have been able to competently navigate academia with the support of my fellow classmates, the phenomenal HCC staff, and the incredible support of the generous donors who see the value of investing in education for others."
Other speakers included President Christina Royal HCC alum and donor Mychal Connolly '04, who established the StandOutTruck.com Celeste Berger Annual Scholarship this year.
Congratulations to all of this year's recipients ...
PHOTOS: (Thumbnail) HCC president Christina Royal, center, stands with HCC student speaker (and scholarship awardee) Meagan Rodriguez of Springfield, and alumni speaker Mychal Connolly '04 at the HCC Foundation's Nov. 9 scholarship reception. (Above) Scholarship awardee Meagan Rodriguez of Springfield talked about how scholarships have allowed her to further her studies in veterinary and animal science.
