Last week, the BCC Foundation shared part one of our story of how private support makes a difference in the lives of SUNY Broome students. In honor of the 6th Annual 24 Hours of Giving on Dec. 1, we are continuing with a few more stories of the 350 students who received scholarships this year.

Alexis wears a SUNY Broome Medical Assisting shirt, a stethoscope and a big smile.

Alexis, a medical assisting major, is currently employed at Lourdes Hospital. She has been paying tuition out of pocket and is very grateful that her scholarship provided some financial relief.

“I cannot begin to thank you enough for such a gracious donation,” Alexis said in a letter to her donors. “It signifies my hard work and dedication, and lifts a huge weight off of my shoulders for next semester!

Azonte, who is majoring in business, is the first person in his family to go to college. He hopes to pave the way to education for his younger sister.

“Thank you so much for providing financial relief for me and my family,” he said to his donors. “You’re giving a chance – for kids like me who come from nothing – to make it in life.”

Daniel is wearing a smile and a SUNY Broome T-Shirt.

Daniel, a student in the liberal arts division, would like to own his own business one day. He said that the Richard M. Schlauder, Sr. Scholarship he received this year will help his family with tuition.

He said, “Since I moved from Mexico, I have become extremely grateful for the opportunities that have been presented to me, and the least I [can do]…is to use those opportunities and work as hard as I can to show my gratitude. I am more than thankful for the awards I have received.”

Jennifer smiles brightly.

Jennifer, a health science major and future health care administrator, plans on transferring after SUNY Broome. She was a 2020 recipient of the Angelo Zuccolo Scholarship.

“Being awarded this scholarship means more to me than I can verbally express,” she wrote to her donors. “It is certainly the icing on the proverbial cake of such a challenging semester. Your belief and investment in me only deepens my determination to succeed! I honestly didn’t think that I would win [a scholarship]. Tears instantly filled my eyes when I logged into my school email and discovered an award notification. I can’t thank you enough.”

Katie Sue holds a sign that she has written "thank you" on with a purple marker.

Katie Sue, a student in the business department, has always loved learning. She is in her first year at SUNY Broome and plans to transfer to Binghamton University.

She says, “This scholarship means a lot to me because it will give me more opportunities to focus on my schoolwork and means I will be able to go further than I really thought I would get.”

Luke holds a sign that says 'Thank You'.

Luke plans to concentrate in International Business and eventually become a business owner.

He says, “The scholarships given by the BCC Foundation have helped make my time at SUNY Broome financially affordable. In turn, this has allowed me to transfer to my dream school, Georgetown University.”

The BCC Foundation is grateful for the efforts of the 2020 scholarship recipients to share their stories, talk about how scholarships helped them and thank their donors. The full list of 2020 scholarship recipients can be found here.

If you would like to join in lessening the financial burden of SUNY Broome students, make sure to participate in 24 Hours of Giving on Dec. 1. Follow the excitement on social media, track our progress on our website, and make a gift of any amount and help to turn college dreams into reality.

If you would like to establish a scholarship to benefit our students, please contact Lisa Schappert at 607-778-5179 or schappertl@sunybroome.edu.