On Friday, June 11, 2021 members of the SUNY Broome community gathered in the Calice Connector to recognize Lockheed Martin’s (Owego) most recent, generous gift of $75,000.00 to support SUNY Broome’s Student Emergency Fund. 

President Dr. Kevin Drumm opened the event by graciously thanking Lockheed Martin for over twenty-five years of community partnership and support. “Our neighbor to the west has always treated SUNY Broome as a priority and an investment. Whether it be through grants, merit scholarships, a physical collaborative classroom on campus, resources for our veterans, or internships for our students, Lockheed Martin has always made an impact. Thank you on behalf of all of our students and particularly the 150 students who were able to access emergency funding during the pandemic thanks to your $75,000.00 donation,” said President Drumm.  

The Student Emergency Fund was the pre-pandemic brainchild of the Financial Wellness Committee led by Director of Student Financial Services, Laura Hodel, and Executive Director of the BCC Foundation, Cathy Williams. The goal of this grant was to designate easily accessible funds to help students cover unexpected costs during life’s emergencies. These funds, which range from $50.00 – $1000.00, could be used to cover the cost of technology, school supplies, internet access, rent, food, childcare, transportation, or medical bills. Little did we know just how necessary this initiative would become… 

During the height of the pandemic, the BCC Foundation sprung into action and coordinated a massive giving campaign to bolster the Student Emergency Fund. Thanks to the generous support of almost 400 of SUNY Broome’s alumni, faculty, staff, and campus partners, the Foundation was able to raise $68,000.00 in eight weeks. The BCC Foundation then secured $58,000.00 in matching funds via the SUNY Impact Foundation. Then our partners at Lockheed Martin contacted SUNY Broome with a simple, succinct message, “We want to help.”

Lockheed Martin’s Vice President and Owego Site General Manager, Hamid Salim, was honored to come to campus to share in the celebration of supporting our community’s students. “We all know what a tremendous toll the pandemic took on nearly every facet of our lives – it has impacted our families, our businesses, and our communities, and our students at every level. We hope that this relief fund gave students the support they needed and allowed them to continue their studies without that additional worry,” said Salim.

Nursing student Gisele Dure attended the press conference highlighting the Student Emergency Fund to personally thank members of the Lockeed Martin and SUNY Broome community for their support during her time of need. 

“It was just a rough time for all of us, but especially for me as a single mother. I had to balance my nursing classes, labs, and clinicals, my job at a rehabilitation and nursing center, and monitor homeschooling. On the suggestion of my advisor, Lori Brewer, I applied for the grant to help me cover survival expenses – just critical, basic things like my rent and utility bills. The application process was so simple and I am really thankful for it,” Dure said. 

Cheryl Kurosky ‘76, President of the BCC Foundation Board of Directors, was delighted to announce that the Student Emergency Fund will remain as a source of financial support beyond the scope of the pandemic, greatly in part due to Lockheed Martin’s dedicated and unwavering commitment to SUNY Broome. To date, 214 students have been able to access this funding.  As both a SUNY Broome alum and a Lockheed Martin retiree, Kurosky is particularly pleased with the partnership of two of her favorite institutions. Currently, over 300 SUNY Broome alumni are employed by Lockheed Martin. 

Learn more about SUNY Broome’s Student Emergency Fund

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