Middlesex College Foundation Celebrates 2025 Scholarship Recipients
The Foundation’s annual Celebration of Philanthropy and Scholarship honored 360 students for the 2024-25 academic year.
TeluguPeople Foundation represenatives Sita Kodavatiganti and Ramu Varanasi (top row, center) with scholarship recipients (l-r, top row): Youseph Abdeljawad and Bill Kawaka, bottom row (l-r): Narda Cortez, Catalina Muniz, Najely Fuentes Garcia, and Angelique Mutilitis.
With powerful themes of gratitude and hope, the Middlesex College Foundation Annual Celebration of Philanthropy and Scholarship reception honored recipients and recognized compassionate donors on November 20.
In the 2024-25 academic year, 360 Middlesex College students received 734 awards totaling $478,157.
“Scholarships play a fundamental role in the ability for many of our students to be able to fund their education,” said Middlesex College President Mark McCormick in his remarks. “Whether you’re an individual, a non-profit entity, or a corporation, every donor or scholarship representative is an important part of our students’ stories.”
Speaking on behalf of the recipients, Gurleen Kaur Saran, who garnered the Joan N. Goldman Scholarship, detailed how the award impacted her family, giving them a sense of relief with the offset monetary costs.
“Scholarships like this one don’t just cover academic expenses—they ease stress, restore confidence, and remind students that our hard work is noticed and valued,” said Saran, a business administration major.
Saran also wrote a play called Love Me, But Not the Lasagna, a theatrical piece developed last Spring through a collaboration between Middlesex College students and faculty and Princeton University that bridged STEM disciplines with the humanities and was presented at Princeton.
Saran said going to Middlesex College was the smartest decision she ever made.
“Being at Middlesex College has given me so many opportunities to explore who I am and who I want to become,” said Saran. “At Middlesex, I’ve found professors who know me by my name, mentors who genuinely care about my growth, and a community that never stops supporting me.”
Lisa Donato Kennedy, a member of the Middlesex College class of ’72, has provided a scholarship in honor of her parents Alfredo and Antoinette Donato. In her remarks, she reflected on her early days on campus and how she wished her gift created a lasting impact.
“I hope that my and my husband’s generosity is a continuation of the legacy of my parents and their values,” Kennedy said. “With each scholarship and scholarship reception I feel as though my gifts are a constant thread beginning with my parents, down to me and hopefully into future generations.”
Tommy Lobben, the director of Johnson & Johnson’s Global Community Impact philanthropic support, was in attendance. As the single largest annual donor to nursing scholarships, with more than 75 awards last year, J&J is committed to supporting the future of nursing.
“Access to education is the bedrock of opportunity,” said DeAngelina Inman, chair of the Middlesex College Foundation. “Know that compassionate support empowers our students. Your gift is an investment in a strong college and strong community.”
The event was sponsored in part by Provident Bank.
The Foundation has recently become partners in multiple new scholarships, including the Allied Health Annual Scholarship, the Edward W. and Stella C. Van Houten Nursing Scholarship, the Mallikarjuna Rao Batta Memorial Scholarship, the Gary and Daria Ludas Family Scholarship, and the Jane Lasky Annual Scholarship and the Jane Lasky Endowed Scholarship.
In the last academic year, the Foundation received an additional 312 gifts for over $42,000 for student basic needs programs, including the Middlesex College Community Hub and Food Pantry, Student Emergency Fund, Bridging the Digital Divide, and Save Our Seat Assistance program.
To learn more about the Middlesex College Foundation, visit middlesexcollege.edu/foundation/
