Riversville Foundation Awards $ 95,000 in Scholarships
ACHIEVEMENTS
Hispanic Heritage Awards for Students and Businesses
The New York State Small Business Development Center and the Rockland Community College Foundation presented the sixth annual presentation of Hispanic Business Awards and Hispanic Heritage Student Achievement at a celebratory luncheon ( La Quinta Steakhouse , Dec . 2 ). Several of the honorees spoke and shared their inspiring life stories , expressing appreciation for the sacrifices and support their families provided that helped them achieve success .
HISPANIC BUSINESS HONOREES
Dr . Jasen A . Ruiz , Advanced Audiology of New York New Latino Business of the Year
Maura Azanado , Maura ’ s Kitchen Latina Entrepreneur of the Year
Kevin Brestolli , Brestolli Remodeling Latino Entrepreneur of the Year
Eileen Guzzo , Donnelly and Moore Corp . Latina Business of the Year
Fredy Mazariego & Saul Ruiz , Avispa Food Mart & Deli Corp . Latino Business of the Year
Alexander J . Rosado , Bardonia Physical Therapy Latino Corporate Citizen of the Year
Josephine Tarsia ( chair , Hispanic Heritage Student Achievement Awards committee ), Erika Andrade , President Cliff L . Wood , Alejandra Henriquez , Hugo Ruballos , Ydelisa Santana , Justin Negrin . [ photo : Christopher Thiesing ]
HISPANIC STUDENT AWARDS
Associate Professor Josephine Tarsia presented the Hispanic Student Achievement Awards to the following student honorees :
Erika Andrade – Academic Achievement Andrade maintained an impressive GPA in RCC ’ s rigorous Nursing program while working full time . She also earned her EMT , phlebotomy and EKG certifications in the past five months .
Alejandra Henriquez – Personal Accomplishment . A student in the Sam Draper Honors program , Henriquez has a strong interest in chemistry and hopes to become a doctor in pharmacy .
Justin Negrin – Leadership Activities . Earning an impressive GPA of 3.57 , Negrin is pursuing a career in Occupational Therapy . For the last seven years he has worked as a volunteer for the Special Olympics .
Hugo Ruballos – Personal Accomplishment . A student in the Business and Accounting program , Ruballos was inducted into the Business Honor Society , Alpha Beta Gamma , and received the Phi Sigma Omicron distinction .
Ydelisa Santana – Personal Accomplishment . As a returning adult student , Santana works hard to balance her job and her RCC courses with her roles as a wife and mother of two children . She has excelled at her studies in Business Administration .
Riversville Foundation Awards $ 95,000 in Scholarships
Twenty-one currently enrolled RCC students will be able to continue their studies at RCC for another year tuition-free , thanks to the Riversville Foundation , a private charitable foundation that provides educational opportunities to students who might not attend college without financial assistance and additional support .
While Riversville has primarily worked with four-year institutions , beginning in 2014 , the Riversville Foundation began a collaboration with RCC . This year ’ s commitment totals more than $ 95,000 .
The scholarships were awarded at a luncheon on December 6 . Under the direction of the Riversville Foundation ’ s Executive Director , Bruno Casolari , a former Director of Resource Development at RCC , the Foundation has awarded more than $ 135,000 in need-based scholarships to RCC students in the last two years . These students are required to maintain a strong GPA and a commitment to academic excellence .
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