HCC Celebrates Grand Opening of Scholarship Resource Center
Feroza Sherzai holds the distinction of being the first Holyoke Community College (HCC) student to apply for a scholarship through the school’s new Scholarship Resource Center.
Sherzai arrived at the center on Jan. 31, just as the open house celebrating its grand opening got underway, and sat down at one of the center’s three computer workstations.
“This is a very good opportunity for students,” said Sherzai, a student in HCC’s academic English as a second language program. “I came here to fill out the application. I had a lot of questions.”
On hand to answer those questions was Laura Freeman, manager of Stewardship and Donor Relations for HCC and coordinator of the center. “She was very good,” Sherzai said. “She was very patient with me.”
The Scholarship Resource Center is the first of its kind among community colleges in Massachusetts. Its purpose is to make it easier for students to apply for scholarships available through the HCC Foundation.
“We’re here 9 to 5, Monday through Friday, to help with all things scholarship-related,” Freeman said. “It’s great to have this very warm, inviting, and inclusive space where students can come and get the assistance they need.”