Sandra & Glenn D. Cunningham Foundation awards 15 college scholarships

The Sandra and Glenn D. Cunningham Foundation announced the 15 students who will obtain scholarships for the fall semester on Wednesday, ranging from the local St. Peter’s University, to colleges as far as West Virginia University. 

By Katherine Guest/Hudson County View

“Each and every year we coordinate our efforts to ensure that the foundation lives ups to its founding ideals of assisting students through scholarships to realize their dreams of higher education,” foundation president and co-founder Sandra Cunningham said in a prepared statement.

Seven of the 15 recipients were continuing scholarship participants, while the other students were new to the $1,500 acquired from the mentor program.  New Jersey City University was another local institution that boasted a scholarship winner.

As a ritual for the foundation, each student will be paired with a professional within the district which ultimately assists students with their future educational goals.

“This is why Glenn and I formed the foundation, to help those who need it most as they pursue a path to better their lives through education,” said Cunningham, who is also a State Senator (D-31), in a written statement.

The new recipients are Tiana Carr (Kean University), Bryan Julot (TCNJ), Samiyah Perkins (Hudson County Neighborhood College), Pierre Ligonde (Montclair State University), Dominique Cunningham (Howard University) and Kevin Bonners (Boston College).

The returning recipients are Melvin Badger (Montclair State University), Brianna Lawrence (Bennett College), Derrick James (Rider University), Naomi Lopez (William Paterson University), Ashley Harrison (New Jersey City University), Cornelius Hagins (West Virginia University Institute of Technology), Raquel Smith (William Paterson University), Darell Dublin (Berkeley College), Shanice Lewis (Berkeley College) and Tianna Gourdine (Goldey-Beacom College).

Historical figure and husband of Sandra Cunningham, Glenn D. Cunningham, was Jersey City’s first African American mayor and founder of SGCF before he died in 2004 from a heart attack.