LYNDHURST, N.J. – The “season of giving” came early for 110 Bergen Community College students Dec. 13 at the third annual mid-year scholarship awards ceremony, which took place at the school’s location in Lyndhurst – Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands. The event gave students an opportunity to meet the Bergen Community College Foundation donors who made more than $180,000 in scholarships possible.
Scholarship winners are listed by hometown; donors are noted alongside their names:
Bogota
Paola Baez, Bogota Savings Bank ($1,500)
Valerie Batista, Southpole Foundation ($2,000)
Monica Burgos, Gourmet Dining LLC ($1,000)
Makayla Davis, United Water NJ ($1,500)
Carlstadt
Elshama Santana, Ciarco Family ($1,500)
Clifton
Yoshimi Suzuki, Robert Sydney Needham Foundation ($2,500)
Tania Tapia, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Dumont
Donna Sisti, Jeremiah & Yolanda Ciancia Family Foundation ($500)
East Rutherford
Joyce Raymond, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Monique Strachan, Gourmet Dining LLC ($1,000)
East Windsor
Joseph Pearson, Michael Esposito Trust ($3,360)
Edgewater
Luis Campuzano, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Elizabeth
Janaina De Sousa, Michael Galgano Scholarship in Performing Arts ($2,000)
Elmwood Park
Kareem Abdelrehiem, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Edel Gambe, Ciarco Family ($1,500)
Kiantaé Hutton, Southpole Foundation ($2,000)
Englewood
Cynthia Fuller, Baila Zheutlin Memorial ($1,500)
Fabio Malpeso, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Fair Lawn
Jesus Geraldino, Lester Bogen Memorial ($1,000)
Antonio Ortiz, Ciarco Family ($1,500)
Tornike Mebagishvili, Traphagen Family ($1,500)
Fairview
Kimberly Iraheta, Securing Our Future ($1,500)
Fort Lee
Fatima Abdelsalam, Hamm Family ($1,000)
Natalie Khatchadourian, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Elizaveta Kulko, Moses Family ($2,000)
Cheukfai Lo, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Garfield
Melissa Belschner, Gourmet Dining LLC ($1,000)
Claire Garcia, Dr. Richard Ciccone Endowed ($2,000)
Stefani Kocevska, Securing Our Future ($1,500)
Bojana Madzovska, Securing Our Future ($1,500)
Elio Qorri, Southpole Foundation ($2,000)
Anthony Ricciardi, Dr. Richard Ciccone Endowed ($2,000)
Melissa Sherman, Verizon ($2,000)
Kristina Zaimova, Southpole Foundation ($2,000)
Hackensack
Melissa Alvarez, Ciarco Family ($1,500)
Oyinkansola Falana, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Rosa Madrid, Ciarco Family ($1,500)
Carl Phillip, Southpole Foundation ($2,000)
Atiya Sharif, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Faton Spata, R2D2 ($2,000)
Nickeita Tomlinson, Gourmet Dining LLC ($1,000)
Haledon
Anxhela Avdyli, Southpole Foundation ($2,000)
Haskell
Eugene Leonardo, Visual Arts Student ($1,000)
Hawthorne
Cassandra Preciose, Dr. Richard Ciccone Endowed ($2,000)
Hopatcong
Chris Breiner, Ciarco Family ($1,500)
Jersey City
Megan Albert, William M. Orr Endowed ($2,000)
Kearny
Joann Carnero, Ciarco Family ($1,500)
Leonia
Rubenny Vasquez, Securing Our Future ($1,500)
Little Ferry
Laurice Quiambao, Sidney Silverman ($2,000)
Lodi
Dina Ahmed, Gourmet Dining LLC ($1,000)
Kaydian Branch, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Gabriella Navarro, Verizon ($2,000)
Ann Teran, Hamm Family ($1,000)
Jesus Zuniga, RSC Architects ($1,400)
Lyndhurst
Lori DeMarco, Dill Family ($1,500)
Steven Galarza, Ciarco Family ($1,500)
Christina Garcia, David and May Bogen ($2,000)
Midland Park
Heraldi De La Cruz, United Water NJ ($1,500)
Moonachie
Joy Burns, General Scholarship ($2,000)
North Arlington
Anna Rose Alberga, Dr. Richard Ciccone Endowed ($2,000)
William Nash, Ciarco Family ($1,500)
North Bergen
Jorge Vanegas, Securing Our Future ($1,500)
Northvale
Subin Ahn, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Oakland
Michael Finn, R2D2 ($2,000)
Palisades Park
Miran Kim, Ciarco Family ($1,500)
Michelle Park, Securing Our Future ($1,500)
Elizabeth Ramirez, Securing Our Future ($1,500)
Jafar Salehm, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Paramus
Jyoti Kataria, Benjamin Labov ($1,000)
Christina Natoli, Dr. Richard Ciccone Endowed ($2,000)
Park Ridge
Sara Masoudinejad, Molly and Daniel Hekemian ($2,000)
Paterson
Demie Butler, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Ainsworth Ebanks, Jr., United Water NJ ($1,500)
Maximiliano Harmon, Verizon ($1,000)
Jossary Vargas, Leo Foundation Endowed ($1,000)
Ridgefield Park
Blyss Molina-Ayala, Verizon ($2,000)
Fatima Zenine Villanueva, Southpole Foundation ($2,000)
Ridgefield
Alexander Lee, Verizon ($1,000)
Dane Wagner, Jeremiah & Yolanda Ciancia Family Foundation ($500)
River Edge
Alexander Yamamoto, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Rochelle Park
Reshm Gandhi, Indian-Americans of Paramus ($750)
Rutherford
Mark Ellard, Dill Family ($1,500)
Jaclyn Fitzpatrick, Dr. Richard Ciccone Endowed ($2,000)
Teaneck
Justyna Bobko-Jelonek, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Alyssa Farina, Dr. Richard Ciccone Endowed ($2,000)
Denise Gardener, Maura Soehnlein Memorial ($2,000)
Saman Javed, Securing Our Future ($1,500)
Ahmad Mahmoud, Jeremiah & Yolanda Ciancia Family Foundation ($500)
Charlen McNeil, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Randy Raymond, Securing Our Future ($1,500)
Raquel Stephen, Holly Schepisi ($1,000)
Tenafly
Ju Yeon Gang, Sidney Silverman ($2,000)
Union City
Rodrigo Bucheli, Meadowlands ($1,000)
Waldwick
Jacqueline Sheriff, United Water NJ ($1,500)
Wallington
Sara Dec, General Scholarship ($2,000)
Nora Figueroa, Gourmet Dining LLC ($1,000)
Stephania Rengifo, Hamm Family ($1,000)
Elisabet Saharig, Louis Girshon Memorial ($1,500)
Wayne
Saranda Ibrahimi, Michael Galgano Scholarship in Performing Arts ($2,000)
West New York
Casey Schmal, General Scholarship ($2,000)
The foundation board of directors, comprised of community leaders from the public and private sector, works closely with the College to develop fundraising opportunities to meet the needs of the institution. Since its inception in 1982, total contributions received by the foundation have surpassed $17 million.
Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu) based in Paramus is a public two-year coeducational college, enrolling nearly 17,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields.
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