MCC Foundation Gives Surprise Gift to Students in Need

A generous donation from the MCC Foundation is sure to bring smiles to the faces of some very deserving students this fall.

The foundation’s board of directors approved a measure last week that would provide $500 scholarships to a group of almost 200 high-achieving students who are struggling to pay their college costs. Foundation board president, Anita Maltbia, presented a $100,000 check to MCC officials and student ambassadors during the college’s board of trustees meeting on Thursday.

MCC Foundation Board President Anita Maltbia, second from right, presented a check for $100,000 made out to "Metropolitan Community College Students" at the MCC board of trustees meeting on June 16. Pictured with Maltbia are (left to right) Mark James, MCC chancellor; Duc Nguyen, student leader at MCC-Penn Valley and MCC-Maple Woods; Mehrnaz Shahlari, student ambassador at MCC-Penn Valley; Maira Cuevas, student leader at MCC-Blue River and MCC-Maple Woods and student advisor for the MCC Foundation; and David Disney, president of the MCC board of trustees.   

Financial-need parameters have been established for the scholarships but specific students have not yet been selected to receive the awards, said Cindy Butler, MCC's district director of financial aid. The students, who will be identified by the financial aid office, will have completed at least half of the coursework for an associate's degree and be in good academic standing with the college.

“These are bright students who are poised to do well in school and in their careers,” said Maltbia, who is also director of the
Green Impact Zone of Missouri. “As a foundation board, it was very important to us that we find a way to support MCC's scholars.”

Funds for the scholarship gift will be paid by the MCC Foundation, the nonprofit and fundraising arm of MCC. Established in 1975, the foundation administers 174 scholarships and endowments; sponsors alumni and donor recognition events; and leads an annual capital campaign for the college. This year’s total scholarship contribution of $322,827 is the highest annual contribution in the foundation’s history.

For more information about the MCC Foundation, visit the foundation's web page. To donate to the foundation to ensure scholarship programs continue to help deserving MCC students, visit the foundation's online donation page.