Sussex County Community College awards 54 scholarships at ceremony

Sussex County - A cold winter night evening set the stage for the December scholarship awards ceremony. More than $39,000 was offered to Sussex County Community College students to be used for the upcoming spring semester. “The number of students who have been able to use scholarships to reach their dream of a college degree at SCCC has increased dramatically in the past five years,” said Debbie McFadden, director of counseling at SCCC. “This is due to the considerable efforts of Dr. Brad Gottfried, Linda Nieman and the foundation to identify the needs of our students and to bring community resources, from both individuals and corporate donors, to the College. At this ceremony, 54 scholarships were awarded to 81 students.” The ceremony saw some newcomers to SCCC’s list of scholarships. Franklin Mutual Insurance awarded two scholarships, and the Hampton Rotary sponsored an award for the first time. For a complete list of scholarships visit the SCCC web site at www.sussex.edu. Tammie Horsfield, chairperson for the Foundation at SCCC, said, “The Foundation at Sussex County Community College is excited about the considerable growth in the number of scholarships and dollars awarded to the students of SCCC.” “Access to education is essential to level the playing field of life,” said Linda Nieman, executive director of advancement and planning at SCCC. “As part of our mission, I see the Foundation for Sussex County Community College as the great leveler. So many students would fall through the cracks of the financial aid process if it were not for the scholarship dollars provided by the Foundation. I’m so pleased with the support of our community and the work done by the scholarship committee. The commitment of this group of individuals is unparalleled.” The Scholarship Committee includes: chairman Al Buechler, Frank Ancona, Bernie Bomba, Denise Farley, Heidi Gregg, Barbara Harford, Joe McNally, Jim Pegg, Mary Thompson, Holly Woods and Foundation Board member Ruth Williams. To apply for a scholarship, students were required to complete an application, submit a personal essay and provide a letter of recommendation. For more information, call Linda Nieman at 973-300-2124.