GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
(l-r) Ian McCrum, 2009 Foundation scholarship winner and Kim McCrum of Petro McCrum Consulting, LLC; Kathy Ferrusi of Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union congratulates 2010 Foundation scholarship winner, Mairead Fogarty.
LAYING A STRONG FOUNDATION The Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Scholarship Fund By Kelley Granger
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or many people today, localism is a familiar and thriving ideal—it might involve a conscious decision to buy from a farmers’ market versus a chain grocery store and bank at a neighborhood institution instead of a national one. With the same intention of cultivating a vibrant community, the Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation at New Paltz has been providing an outlet to further enrich the New Paltz region through its scholarship program. The Foundation’s scholarship program differs from many in that both traditional and nontraditional students are eligible to apply and compete on the basis of their outstanding academic, athletic, and community service record. The only stipulation is that they be a member of the New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce, a direct relative, or an employee of a member. The money awarded may go to any form of study from the typical four-year college to a vocational program. Through private donations and the proceeds of the Annual New Paltz Garden Tour, the Annual Golf Outing, and the Annual Progressive Dinner, the Foundation has granted almost $10,000 to local students since 2007.
Traditionally Speaking
Over the past few years, the Foundation’s scholarships have been awarded to a variety 22
of traditional students, like Mairead Fogarty, who won a 2010 scholarship as she finished her last year of high school. She’s in the process of completing her degree in health education at SUNY Cortland and plans to pursue a Master’s degree with an aim to put her knowledge to use through service in the Peace Corps. She was a member of the National Honor Society in high school and will be joining the National Health Honor Society, Eta Sigma Gamma, next semester. “I am thankful to have been awarded scholarships from the community that raised me and molded who I am,” says Fogarty. “Without that, I would not be as secure in further pursuing my education and dream to assist and educate others.” Another student who benefited from the Foundation’s award is Ian McCrum. He was a 2009 winner and has been studying chemical engineering at Clarkson University in Potsdam. He was chosen to be part of the school’s honors program and recently won a $75,000 grant with a team of classmates at a competition in Washington, D.C. The money will be used to develop a pilot system for an anaerobic digestion process for use on small dairy farms. As the student team leader for the project, he says the outcome could help increase the profitability of owning small farm operations.
“I feel I have accomplished so much in the past year and owe a part of that to receiving this scholarship from the Chamber of Commerce in New Paltz,” says McCrum. Alternative Students
Though Fogarty and McCrum are the definition of a traditional student, the Foundation offers scholarships to non-traditional students too—those who may be returning to school after starting a family or deciding to switch career paths. Financial aid for adult and returning students can often be hard to come by, and research shows that the lack of funding can be a serious impediment to educational goals. According to research by the Lumina Foundation for Education, only about a third of adult students report receiving student loans, and less than a third were getting federal or state grants or private scholarships. And almost a third of adult students said that they were unaware of what financial aid was available to them. Nikki Koenig Nielson falls into the adult student category—she was a 2010 scholarship winner and put the money toward tuition and books at Albany Law School. She left a career as a consultant in New Paltz to pursue a law degree. As if it’s not difficult enough to be a law student, she manages to balance life as a mother with
WWW.NEWPALTZCHAMBER.ORG THE NEW PALTZ REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE