Les Dames D’Escoffier Scholarship Winners
KCC student Melissa Ruiz Diaz
Kingsborough Freshman Is 1 Of 16 2021 Les Dames D’Escoffier Scholarship Winners
Melissa Ruiz Diaz, who transferred to Kingsborough Community College this past spring, got one of the most exciting pieces of news of her life recently.
The 18-year-old Borough Park resident has been named the recipient of the 2021 Kingsborough Culinary Advancement Scholarship by Les Dames d’Escoffier New York (LDNY), an organization of accomplished professional women in the food, nutrition, fine beverage, and hospitality industries.
“I couldn’t believe it. It’s such a prestigious thing,” Melissa recalls when she received the news. “I remember calling my friends and telling them I got it. Everyone was so excited for me.”
Formally presented during a virtual ceremony in July, LDNY awarded $79,000 in scholarships to 16 women pursuing hospitality degrees with a commitment to advancement and philanthropy. Since 1977, LDNY has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships, many in partnership with corporate benefactors, to over 1,000 recipients.
Melissa, who is majoring in culinary arts at Kingsborough, said her ultimate goal is to own her own bakery. “For now, I just want to learn everything I can about the culinary arts. That’s the main reason I’m at Kingsborough, to learn as much as I can,” she said.
About Les Dames d’Escoffier New York (LDNY)
LDNY is the founding and largest chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI),
an experienced 501c3 non-profit organization. LDNY’s vision is guided by three objectives:
Education, Advocacy and Philanthropy. LDNY ‘s mission is to advance and support aspiring
professional women in food and beverage, and champion critical industry issues.
Recent Articles
- Two Kingsborough Community College Awarded JKC National Community College Transfer Scholarships
- CUNY Appoints Suri Duitch as Eighth President of Kingsborough Community College
- Kingsborough Community College Welcomes Visiting Austrian Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence
- Three Kingsborough Students Named Semifinalists for Coveted Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship
- KCC Student Journal of Arts, “Antheon,” Wins GDUSA 2024 American Graphic Design Award in "Student Work" Category
- KCC Student Liam Lotz Named a 2024-2025 Kaplan Leadership Scholar
- KCC Community and Business Partners Luncheon
Stay Connected
Related Articles
Two Kingsborough Community College Awarded JKC National Community College Transfer Scholarships
Kingsborough Community College students Tanzeela Jahangir Chaudhry and William (Liam) Lotz, recipients of the 2025 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.
CUNY Appoints Suri Duitch as Eighth President of Kingsborough Community College
The City University of New York has appointed Suri Duitch as president of Kingsborough Community College, making permanent the post she has held on an interim basis since January 2024.
Kingsborough Community College Welcomes Visiting Austrian Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence
KCC has been selected to host Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Ingrid Geier, a professor of educational science at Salzburg University of Education in Austria, through the end of the Spring 2025 semester.