Select Bergen Community College Students Share 180K in Donated Scholarships

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, CiarcoFamily ($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, GourmetDining 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.