The Berkeley College Foundation recently hosted its Annual Scholarship Awards dinner and 10-Year Anniversary Celebration at La Neve’s Banquets in Haledon. The Foundation honored 19 high-achieving Berkeley College students for their academic excellence, perseverance, and commitment to education.
Since its inception, the Foundation has grown into a major source of financial support, having provided $296,000 in scholarship awards to 84 Berkeley College students over the past decade.
The 2025 scholarship recipients hail from New York and New Jersey, as well as Catoosa, Oklahoma, reflecting the college’s diverse student body. Honorees included Saron Bonilla, Stephanie Boyd, Yenny Gonzalez, Deirdre Raisin, Dina Shafik and Joselyn Singleton.
“These scholarships are more than just a nudge of support. They are a vote of confidence in your potential, a recognition of your journey, and a belief in your future,” Jonathan Santiago, scholarship chair, board of directors, Berkeley College Foundation, said during his remarks.
Diane Recinos, president of Berkeley College, highlighted the impact of the financial assistance.
“Berkeley College Foundation scholarships do more than simply help students pay for tuition,” Recinos said. “Every scholarship opens the door to opportunity – the chance for a student to earn a degree, to launch a meaningful career, to uplift their family, and to shape their community.”
Ellen Zitis, executive director of the Berkeley College Foundation, thanked attendees and sponsors for supporting the students. She acknowledged that many recipients were motivated by significant influences in their lives, emphasizing, “You earned this through your hard work, and you impressed us with your GPAs, personal statements, perseverance, and commitment to your education.”
The event, which also included a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle, was supported by generous sponsors, with CohnReznick serving as the Title Sponsor.
The Berkeley College Foundation’s mission is to provide financial and resource support to students, not only through tuition scholarships but also by supporting food pantries at Berkeley College campuses in Woodland Park, Newark, and New York City.
The 2025 scholarship recipients are:
- Saron Bonilla of the Bronx, NY
- Stephanie Boyd of Newark, NJ
- Joshi Fabian of Kearny, NJ
- Yenny Gonzalez of West New York, NJ
- Edisa Gordon of Brooklyn, NY
- Zakaria Hassan Hamza of Bayonne, NY
- Mark Kovacs of Old Bridge, NJ
- Julian Marshall of Jamaica, NY
- Vanessa Mejia of Belleville, NJ
- Lucas Moraes of New York, NY,
- Montana Murdock of Catoosa, OK
- Darius Murray of Brooklyn, NY
- Christopher Nino Quintanar of Brooklyn, NY
- Deirdre Raisin of Tinton Falls, NJ
- Eutresa Richards of the Bronx, NY
- Dina Shafik of Bayonne, NJ
- Joselyn Singleton of Irvington, NJ
- Shazeeda Subhan of Valley Stream, NY
- Zachary Witham of Wanaque, NJ
