On Tuesday, November 19, the Foundation for Reading Area Community College held its annual Scholarship Dinner at the DoubleTree Hotel in Reading as 450 attendees celebrated the college’s many recent successes while giving voice to a group of student speakers whose moving stories of overcoming obstacles to achieve their dreams is always a highlight.
The dinner brings together Reading Area Community College (RACC) scholarship recipients, their generous donors, and the faculty and staff who facilitate these meaningful relationships for a special night of fellowship and celebration. This year’s Scholarship Dinner had over 150 scholarship awardees in attendance.
“Everyone present was deeply inspired by our students and their personal stories about an RACC scholarship’s impact on their academic journey and life goals. The Foundation is beyond proud to be able to support these wonderful students and see them achieve things they never thought possible. We are very proud to announce that last year, the Foundation for RACC awarded 1,362 Scholarships to 924 students, distributing over 1,5Million Dollars,” says RACC VP of College Advancement and the Executive Director of the Foundation for Reading Area Community College, Tony DeMarco.
This year’s featured scholarship recipients were Angela Caldero-Perez (Bruce H. and Elizabeth A. Stanley Scholarship), Javier Mayen and Jason Saunders (The Langdon/East Penn Scholarship), Amber Cochran (The Tower of Hope Scholarship) and Kimberly Doyle (The Clara Yocum Current Use Scholarship).
“These remarkable students have demonstrated exceptional dedication, perseverance, and commitment to their academic pursuits. They have overcome challenges and obstacles, and their stories inspire us all. This is a celebration of their accomplishments and a testament to their hard work. To them, I extend my heartfelt congratulations,” says RACC President, Dr. Susan Looney.
The event is also an opportunity for the Foundation to award its “Distinguished Alumni Award” to a RACC alumnus who has achieved levels of meritorious distinction in their career or through their community work. This year, the Foundation honored 1989 RACC graduate, Mr. Thomas Hubric, President and CEO of Hubric Resources.
The Foundation for RACC can bestow the highest honor upon a past board member, who is designated as a Rolf Schmidt Honorary Director for Life. Three individuals were presented with this esteemed honor at the Scholarship Dinner. Augustus Hatzas founded the RACC Golf Tournament, which just celebrated its 37th year. Whitney “Sandy” Sanders served on the Foundation Board for 27 years in various leadership roles. Jay Sidhu was responsible for driving a series of transformational gifts to the Foundation throughout his long career while always advocating for first-generation college students.
The RACC Scholarship Dinner was presented by Customers Bank, Boscov’s, East Penn Manufacturing, Penske, and many other leading businesses and organizations.
