The Friends of MCC Foundation welcomed more than 180 scholarship donors and recipients for an appreciation breakfast on Friday, February 10. The event was an opportunity to thank and honor the generous donors who make scholarships available to MCC students.
Among those receiving a scholarship was Gretl Diaz Perez, a returning adult student who spoke at the event. Diaz received the IME Becas as well as the Friends of MCC Foundation Board Scholarship. She is pursuing her Associate in Arts degree with plans to transfer to Aurora University to complete her bachelor’s degree in education.
“The Friends of MCC Foundation helped reawaken a dream I thought could never happen due to my family’s financial situation,” Diaz said. “It has brought hope for my future. The generosity I have been shown will help me become a bilingual teacher with a desire to make a positive impact in our society.”
Scholarship donor Kathy Young also spoke at the event. Young, who works as a tutor in MCC’s Office of Access and Disability and has been with the College for 10 years, established the John and Kathy Young Automotive Award in honor of her late husband who passed in February 2022. His memorial raised over $30,000 for automotive scholarships.
“I had been searching for a way to honor John’s passion for automobiles,” Young said. “I finally decided that creating the first MCC scholarship focused on Automotive students was the perfect choice. In January of 2022, we gave the first monetary award to a student named Brody. His thank you letter was 11 pages long and included photos and short videos.”
It was comforting to see how many of their friends and family members donated money to the scholarship in her husband’s honor after he passed, Young added.
“We’ve been able to help nine Automotive students so far, and we look forward to helping many more students in the future.”
The Friends of MCC Foundation awarded more than $665,000 in scholarships to 725 students in 2022 alone.
“This event allows us to celebrate and thank our scholarship donors while also serving as an opportunity for them to connect with the students whose lives they’re changing through their donations,” said Brian DiBona, executive director of the Friends of MCC Foundation. “We’re truly inspired by our donors’ generosity year over year, and continually amazed by the hard work, dedication, and ambition of our students.”
The Foundation is currently accepting applications for Fall 2023 scholarships until April 3, 2023. Scholarship opportunities include a variety of criteria based on area of study, educational and career goals, GPA, extracurricular activities, financial need, and more. Interested students can apply at www.mchenry.edu/scholarships.
To learn more about scholarship donor opportunities, visit www.mchenry.edu/supportmcc.
