BY AMANDA MOSES
Academic excellence at its best was show-cased on August 16th during the Spring Creek Community Corporation (SCCC) and The Opportunity Hub’s Annual Spring Creek Towers (SCT) College Scholarship Award dinner in the Brooklyn Sports Club’s (BSC) Aspen room.
Every year, SCT awards those who’ve made tremendous academic strides and achievements with one lucky recipient earning the Marie Purnell Community Service Award (an honor bestowed upon a student who has volunteered their time improving the SCT community.) There have been over 273 scho-larship award winners over 37 years, amounting to $2.7 billion given to students.
“These are exceptional young people with a commitment to academic excellence and building community,” said Karin Montagne, the Director of Operations for The Oppor-tunity Hub.
The evening dinner was an intimate oc-casion welcoming the ten scholarship win-ners and their parents. Gold and black balloons adorned the Aspen room with blue tablecloths emblazoned with small yellow stars covering several rectangular tables that filled the event space, creating a dimly lit cozy affair. Although only seven recipients were able to make it to the celebration, since some students were preparing for their college move out of state, this event allowed family, friends, mentors, and SCT staff to gush over the award recipients.
“Our mission is to serve as a reflection of our community and to learn and grow alongside it. We hope to empower individuals to tap into their own highest potential through collaboration, supportive services, and an unwavering commitment to grow. We’re dedicated to making a long-term investment in the needs and future aspirations of those who we serve. So, this commitment led us to partnering with Spring Creek Community Corporation, and the Spring Creek Towers Scholarship Program,” said Nanda Prabhakar, the Executive Director of The Opportunity Hub.
“We have some truly remarkable young people here today…We have artists, writers, leaders, robotics masters, scholar athletes, and I feel like together this group is gonna take over the world and we just gotta step back and let them,” Prabhakar added.
At the dinner, ten students were applauded for their efforts and in addition to their scholarship they earned a certificate memorializing the occasion, a $50 Microsoft gift certificate, and much to the students’ (and their parents) surprise a HP Laptop.
Angela Williams, mother of scholarship recipient Aaliyah Lewis, placed her hand over her mouth when she learned that her daughter would also be receiving a free laptop. For Williams, the combination of the scholarship and laptop to aid with college relieves a big weight off of her shoulders.
“I’m most proud of her perseverance, her aura, and her profes-sionalism,” Williams said proudly.
Also in attendance was Jennifer Viechweg-Horsford, the Community Relations Coordinator from New York State Senator Roxanne Persaud’s office, who congratulated the 2023 scholarship recipients and the SCCC and The Opportunity Hub for their work uplifting and empowering students.
Photos by Amanda Moses
