A $10,000 donation will create an emergency fund for nursing students at Cayuga Community College.
The funding comes from the Mary Porcari Brady Fund and was matched by the Cayuga County Community College Foundation.
“The Mary Porcari Brady Fund is a tremendous supporter of nursing students and programs, and we are incredibly appreciative of their belief in our students and their potential as registered nurses,” said Cayuga Professor and Program Director Mary Driscoll. “We are confident this fund will allow our students to overcome unexpected financial burdens to earn their degree and continue pursuing their goal of helping those in need.”
The fund is designed to help nursing students cover unexpected financial costs that could otherwise prevent them from continuing their education. Such costs include rent, daycare, medical expenses, and utility bills.
Students from both CCC’s Auburn and Fulton campuses can submit applications for assistance, with those applications being reviewed by Cayuga faculty.
“We remember how difficult and stressful it was for our mother to attend class, study nights and weekends, and raise four children at the same time,” said Mary Porcari Keough of Atlanta, Ga., Mary Porcari Brady’s eldest surviving child. “We hope the Fund will help Cayuga nursing students complete their degrees and pay it forward as nursing professionals. Mom was born in Oneida and grew up in Oswego. We spent much of our childhood with our Oswego grandparents and extended family. Our family ties to the area remain strong and we are proud to support Cayuga’s nursing students.”
The Mary Porcari Brady Fund was started in 2006 and is named after Mary Porcari Brady who completed nursing school in 1971 following the death of one of her children. Before retiring in 2001, she had worked at the Park Avenue Hospital in Rochester, Old Forge Medical Center, Cortland Hospital, and Oswego Hospital.
More information on CCC’s nursing program can be found at cayuga-cc.edu.
