Kia Thornton-Miller \u201916 is up against quite a few challenges in life. The 36-year-old mother of two separated from her husband and is currently on disability. However, Thornton-Miller is also the recipient of The Newcombe\/Ruscick Family Endowed Scholarship and on November 2, she was all smiles as she wrote a thank-you card to her benefactor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am so grateful to be able to have this help because without it, I wouldn\u2019t be able to finish school,\u201d said the elementary education major. \u201cWhen I say grateful, I mean I cried in the financial aid office when they told me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thornton-Miller was one of 141 students who attended the Sixth Annual Scholarship Information Session Luncheon, which is held each year in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday. That afternoon, freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors filled The Duncan Family Sky Room, penning handwritten heartfelt words of appreciation and gratitude to their respective donors who had enabled them to pursue their education at Â鶹ÊÓƵ\u2019s.<\/p>\n
One of them was education and psychology major Maria Vidal \u201916 who sat near Thornton-Miller. The two had just discussed how the scholarships changed their lives. Vidal was awarded The Peter J. Riccardo Endowed Scholarship.\u00a0 \u201cThis scholarship really helps out my family,\u201d added Vidal. \u201cMy parents have to provide for both my education and my brother\u2019s so I am really grateful for this generosity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelle Perez \u201916 is no stranger to the annual scholarship luncheon and has received financial aid and scholarships throughout her Â鶹ÊÓƵ\u2019s education. This year, she received three: \u00a0The James A. Cardiello ’36 Endowed Scholarship, The Alpha Sigma Nu Scholarship and The Rev. Robert Gannon, S.J. \u201936 Scholarship. As a student whose family experienced financial hardships throughout her childhood, Perez emphasized just how important each gift has been in her pursuit of a bachelor\u2019s degree in political science while minoring in anthropology and philosophy.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery single one has contributed to my ability to finish my education,\u201d she added. \u201cIt\u2019s a blessing for people out there to give back to others they don\u2019t even know.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Ana Bueno \u201917, receiving The Hudson County Community College Scholarship played an important role in enabling her to become the first person in her family to attend college. She mentioned how honored she was to be a student of a university that ranked fifth in the nation by MONEY\u00ae Magazine for \u201cColleges That Add the Most Value\u201d and described her experience at Â鶹ÊÓƵ\u2019s even more rewarding.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a big thing [to be named fifth in the nation for \u201cColleges That Add the Most Value\u201d by MONEY Magazine] \u2014 it makes you proud to be here,\u201d added the elementary education major. \u201cAnd knowing you have these supporters behind you, you just feel right at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Scott Rogers \u201919 and Michael Young \u201916 sat at table writing their own thank-you cards, expressing how much each of their scholarships helped alleviate the financial burden off their families. Rogers and Young were recipients of The Hugo F. and Eileen L. Poiani Annual Awardable Scholarship and The Theresa and Edward O’Toole Scholarship Fund, respectively.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really means a lot and it helps my family out a lot,\u201d said Rogers, a criminal justice major. \u201cMy family is grateful for it and I\u2019m grateful for it \u2014it made things a lot easier in choosing where to pursue my education.\u201d<\/p>\n
Young echoed Rogers in expressing appreciation for how much his scholarship was alleviating financial stress from his mother. Like many students there that afternoon, the business and marketing major wasn\u2019t sure he would even have the opportunity to pursue his education if it weren\u2019t for his scholarship.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m in the same boat as them \u2014 my mom and I don\u2019t come from a lot of money,\u201d he added. \u201cAnd I love how friendly all the professors are here. There are also smaller classes, which makes it easier to get one-on-one attention if I need it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Erica Gentile \u201917 recalled how excited and happy she was when she discovered she was the recipient of The William J. Mulcahy, S.J. Scholarship Fund and The Frank Powell ’61 Endowed Scholarship Fund. At the time, she had been at Rutgers University in Newark and had discovered Rutgers eliminated her field, molecular biology. At first upset, Gentile realized it was a blessing in disguise because she then was able to pursue her true passion, nursing, at Â鶹ÊÓƵ\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember calling Â鶹ÊÓƵ\u2019s in front of my advisor and asking if the scholarships were still available. They said yes and I immediately said \u2018I\u2019m going to Â鶹ÊÓƵ\u2019s,\u2019\u201d she added. \u201cI\u2019m majoring in nursing now and I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n