LCCC honors students, donors at annual dinner

The Luzerne County Community College Foundation held its annual awards dinner on Saturday night at Mohegan Pennsylvania. The event serves as a chance for students to meet the donors who provided the scholarships that make attending college more affordable.

“It’s a night of celebration and dinner and dancing, and just that wonderful connection between those who are so generous and our students, who are doing what they love,” said Rebecca Brominski, executive director of institutional advancement and foundation at Luzerne County Community College.

For many students, it’s the first time that they will meet the donors who have put up the scholarship funds. Over the past 40-plus years, donors, like those honored on Saturday, have provided LCCC students with a collective $6.5 million.

“We have a lot of very, very generous donors and sponsors and people who really believe in what we do and believe in our students,” Brominski said.

The event also acts as one of the biggest nights of the year for Luzerne County Community College, being placed just a notch below graduation. According to John Yudichak, LCCC president, the awards dinner is important for the whole county.

“Luzerne County Community College is such a special place, such a regional asset, not only for our students, but for business and industry where we supply the workforce of tomorrow,” Yudichak said.

Though Yudichak only became LCCC’s president earlier this year, it’s not the first time he’s been at the awards dinner. Seven years ago, he established a $50,000 scholarship in the name of his father, Joe. In that capacity, Yudichak understood how special of a night the awards dinner is for the students and donors.

According to Yudichak, 90% of the student population at LCCC is eligible for financial aid, adding to the importance of the donors’ contributions.

Yudichak doubled down on the importance of the LCCC graduate pool on the local workforce. He drew a comparison between the area’s biggest industry — health care — and the top major at LCCC — nursing.

In total, the LCCC alumni base sits at nearly 40,000 professionals, many of whom remain in the local community.

“Community is in our name, community is in our mission, and community is what we’re building,” said Yudichak. “We’re building a community of talented, highly-skilled, educated graduates…”

From the student perspective, Saturday evening was a night of thanks. Shelby Ford, an integrative media and design major, spoke on behalf of the LCCC student body at Saturday’s awards dinner. She was the recipient of the LCCC Alumni Legacy Scholarship.

“Your support transforms our lives and strengthens the fabric of our community for generations to come,” Ford said, addressing the donors on behalf of the students.

Ford, like Yudichak, had familial connections on the mind Saturday night. Her mother graduated from LCCC 32 years ago, and Ford has used her mother’s accomplishments as motivation as she continues her education.

“It’s an incredible honor to continue the legacy that my mother began,” said Ford.