SUPPORT JCC STUDENTS THIS GIVING TUESDAY!
Alexis Lundmark always had her family and grandfather in mind when deciding on where to go to college.
SUNY Jamestown Community College was a natural choice. It was close to her home in Lakewood, she could play college soccer there, and pursue her ambitions of becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner at a school known for its nursing program.
Of equal or greater importance, Lundmark could also earn her associate degree debt free thanks to the Unified Student Assistance Scholarship.
Better known as the USA Scholarship, the award is given to freshmen students who attended high school in JCC’s New York and Pennsylvania service areas and ranked in the top 20% of their graduating class. The scholarship pays up to four semesters of tuition not covered by grants.
“I was so excited when I found out I was getting the USA scholarship because I knew I wanted to stay home and be with my family, specifically my grandpa who ended up passing away two months into the nursing program,” Lundmark said. “With the scholarship, it really impacted my ability to go here and it allowed me to play soccer my first year, which made me really proud because I got to play for my grandpa before, during, and after his passing.”
A second-year student at JCC, Lundmark has designs on transferring to a four-year college to continue her education.
“Eventually I want to get into psychiatric nursing because I think mental health is a big part of everyone's lives and it needs to be looked into more,” she said. “I’ve always had a big interest in mental health, specifically within nursing, because growing up I struggled with anxiety and depression. And I felt like I wanted to help others that were going through the same thing.”
Lundmark has enjoyed her experience at JCC.
“I love recommending JCC to all my friends or anyone who's on the fence about it because it's more than likely close to your hometown,” she said. “It has all of the same majors that any college would have. You get your associates in only two years, and it's better financially.”
Lundmark knows she wouldn’t have earned the USA Scholarship if she hadn’t worked so hard in high school.
“I would say it's really important to study all throughout your life, whether that's in middle school or high school, going into college, because high school really affects your college experience,” she said. “If you work hard in school, you can get scholarships, which can help you financially in college.
“And I would recommend just not giving up. Keep working hard and don't be afraid to reach out for help if you need it.”
The USA Scholarship Endowment helps JCC attract top scholars like Lundmark Since its inception, the scholarship has provided over $6 million to more than 3,000 students. These students attend JCC tuition free, and they are consistently among the college’s top performers.
You can support the USA Scholarship by donating to the JCC Foundation on GivingTuesday on Dec. 3 and through the end of the year at secure.qgiv.com/for/usascholarship.