YOUR GIFT’S IMPACT

When you make a gift to Kingsborough Community College you are making an investment in the future. Your gift will provide critical financial support for students and enrich their college experience.

We are proud to present a selection of scholarship recipients who explain how your investment in their future allowed them to pursue their education at Kingsborough. We invite you to meet our students:

Khym Foundation Scholarship; Retiree Scholarship
MAJOR: EDUCATION

An international tri-lingual speaking (Russian, Uzbek and English) student from Uzbekistan, Shakhlo was inspired by her older sister, a teacher, to come to the United States to study education.  Having just completed her second semester, she credits her professors with helping her gain a newfound sense of confidence.  Her goal is to become an elementary school teacher and pursue a Teaching Second Language Certificate so that she can better assist ESL students. However, her studies were put in jeopardy when her father’s business failed and both he and her mother suffered medical setbacks.  Shakhlo is grateful for the scholarships that helped pay for tuition and book and allowed her to stay in school.  “Donors supporting Kingsborough are really supporting and helping students – future representatives of Kingsborough,” she says.

 

Presidential Scholarship; Leon M. Goldstein Scholarship
Award for Academic Excellence and Community Service
MAJOR: LIBERAL ARTS

Growing up in Haifa, Israel, in the midst of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, forged a desire in Scott to study conflict resolution. After arriving in the United States, many family members attended Kingsborough, so this was a natural fit for him. Since coming to Kingsborough, Scott has been involved with the Honors Program and Student World Assembly. He attended the Salzburg Seminar this year and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the community college honor society. He is a hard worker – holding two jobs and one internship while attending school full-time. The Presidential Scholarship enabled Scott to take summer classes at John Jay College, which will prepare him for his studies in International Criminal Justice there in the fall. His goal is to become a diplomat, a role he plans to use to resolve international conflicts. “There is a great diversity at Kingsborough and I have appreciated that the college gave me a strong foundation and the opportunity to move forward,” says Scott.

 

Wave Scholarship
MAJOR: LIBERAL ARTS

Born and raised in NYC, Navila attended high school in her parents’ native country of Pakistan. She found herself in need of a high school credential when she returned to the states to attend college, so she took the GED examination and entered Kingsborough, intending to study chemistry. As her studies progressed, Navila, who has always had an interest in law enforcement, learned more about how science is used in criminal investigations. This fall, she will transfer to John Jay College, where she will major in forensic psychology and minor in law. Her goal is to work for the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit. Very involved in KCC extra-curricular activities, Navila served as president of the Honors Club and vice president of the community college honor society Phi Theta Kappa; attended the Salzburg Seminar in spring 2011; and has presented her work on campus and at a national conference. Navila has been inspired by receiving the Wave scholarship. “Scholarship recipients are future donors,” she says. “Students who receive scholarships will make a difference in the future and they will give back.”

Motion Picture Editors’ Guild Scholarship
MAJOR: BROADCASTING TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

From the time she was a little girl, Amber wanted to be a math teacher – until, that is, she had the chance to attend 106th and Park, the popular BET music show where artists are interviewed in front of a live audience. The equipment and the format really piqued her interest: being in the broadcasting field became her dream. She’s calls Kingsborough “a hidden gem,” noting that “Your college experience is what you make of it.” Amber has made a lot of her time here: she’s involved with Phi Theta Kappa, the community college honor society, and the college radio station, WKRB; did an internship at NYC Media, a position she received through her relationship with Professor John Acosta; and worked on Kingsborough Focus, a cable show on BCAT. Her scholarship helps motivate her: “Receiving a scholarship means someone believes in you.”

Richmond County Savings Bank Foundation Scholarship
MAJOR: RETAIL MERCHANDISING

After working in the retail industry for many years, Noelle developed an enthusiasm for fashion that motivated her to pursue a degree in Retail Merchandising at Kingsborough. Having just completed her first semester, Noelle has already been asked to volunteer to work on the spring 2012 fashion show hosted by the Fashion Design program. After graduation, she hopes to attend LIM College in Manhattan and work towards Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Fashion Merchandising. Her long-term goals include working as a fashion director and later a fashion design teacher. Noelle believes that student mentoring is as valuable as financial support. “Donors can also support students by sharing real-life industry experience and guiding us on the right path to reach our goals.”

Nashalee Knight

Kann Scholarship
MAJOR: BIOLOGY

When Nashalee was only ten years old and living with her family in Jamaica, her fourteen year old brother died from a brain aneurism. This event spurred an interest in detecting preventable medical issues and inspiring an interest in pediatrics. Nashalee was originally recruited to attend another college but arrived in the United States after their enrollment deadline. Her sister had graduated from Kingsborough, so she decided to apply here. With assistance from the college’s New Americans Center, she was able to start classes in spring 2010. This biology major’s long-term goal is to become a pediatric doctor. She used the Kann scholarship to pay for tuition. “Most students at KCC don’t have a strong financial footing on which to stand,” says Nashalee. “Scholarships provide students with needed support, enabling them to stay in school and later be able to give back to the community.”

Alexander M. Krawchuk

National Grid Scholarship
MAJOR: ENGINEERING

After seven years as a sheet metal worker, Alexander had watched the construction industry on which his trade depended, rise and fall with the housing market. Desiring a career less tied to market forces, he decided to enroll at Kingsborough in the fall of 2010 and major in Engineering Sciences, an area he sees as an outgrowth of his work in sheet metal. Alexander is an active member of Phi Theta Kappa, the national community college honor society. “Kingsborough has given me the opportunity to pursue my dream of becoming an engineer,” says Alexander. “I plan to attend a four-year college and ultimately work at an engineering firm in New York City – or become an engineer at Yankee Stadium!”

Amabella Lambincio

Ken Daly Scholarship
MAJOR: LIBERAL ARTS

A transfer student and immigrant from the Philippines, Amabella knows the meaning of hard work. She worked two jobs, 16 hours a day in order to save up for her move from California to New York to pursue her education. Here at Kingsborough, she’s still busy: She’s vice president of the Liberal Arts Council; student delegate to the College Council; captain of the tennis team; and a technical specialist for Phi Theta Kappa. Amabella will attend Mount Holyoke College in the fall, majoring in environmental studies with a minor in engineering, and plans to pursue a Master’s in environmental engineering. “My goal is to help provide sustainably-sourced drinking water to developing countries,” says Amabella. “This scholarship will pay dividends around the world.”

Eric Nightlinger

Maritime Technology Award; Mike Drucker Scholarship
MAJOR: MARITIME TECHNOLOGY

After eleven years of working his way up the career ladder in the aviation industry, Eric suddenly found himself laid off. He decided to enroll at Kingsborough after meeting KCC graduates working on commercial vessels. While still a student, he was able to earn his Captain’s License and Marine Mechanic Certification. Currently, he works part-time at the Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club, operating their launch, and as a captain-for-hire on private charter boats. In the near future, he plans to start a business that would focus on tourism on the water. Eric believes scholarships encourage students: “Knowing they may be eligible for a scholarship encourages students to work harder - to strive - and ultimately graduate.”

Caroline Ocasio

Switzer Scholarshi
MAJOR: NURSING

Caroline fell in love with science after taking physics in high school. She decided to pursue nursing after volunteering in the emergency room at Bellevue Hospital and seeing how science could be used to save lives. She transferred to KCC’s Nursing program from a 4-year school to fast-track her career and happily found her professors were approachable and provided one-on-one attention. A new graduate of the program, Caroline plans to pursue further education after gaining work experience. “My husband has been the only one working to support our family while I attended school,” says Caroline. “The Switzer Scholarship enabled me to purchase reference books to keep at home, reducing my need to commute to and from campus to study, saving me valuable time and money.”

Howard Perry

Men’s Resource Center Stipend
MAJOR: BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Attending Kingsborough is a family tradition for Howard: both his father and grandmother are KCC graduates. An organist at his church, Howard plans to go into the music industry, working first as an account representative and then becoming a music professor. To prepare for the business aspect of the music industry, he studied Business Administration at Kingsborough, but he hopes to study music at Brooklyn College in the fall, and attend the Berkeley School of Music in the future. His involvement with the Men’s Resource Center transformed him. “After learning how many men of color don’t make it in college, I decided to defy the odds,” he says.