College celebrates 5-year naming sponsorship from Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc.
Mohawk Valley Community College held a ceremony on Monday, March 4, 2024, to celebrate a five-year naming sponsorship from Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc. for the College-Community-Connection (C3) program.
College-Community-Connection, sponsored by Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc., partners with local agencies to assist students facing barriers outside the classroom like homelessness, food insecurity, and transportation, so they can focus on completing their academic goals.
“As an alumnus and a longtime Foundation Board member, I’ve seen just how impactful it can be for students to have a place they can go to find some stability so they can stay focused on the future,” said Stephen Zogby ’82, executive vice president of Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc. and MVCC Foundation Board President. “Sponsoring C3 allows us to ensure students will continue to have an opportunity to complete their degrees so they can meet their goals, no matter what they’re faced with in their personal lives.”
In 2023, C3 served 519 students 4,916 times in the Spring semester; 162 students 1,343 times in the Summer semester; and 718 students 7,470 times in the Fall semester. Ninety-four percent of these students said that C3 was able to resolve their need, and an average of 95% of students completed the semester in which they used C3.
“MVCC is at the forefront of training the next generation of this community, and we want to a part of that success,” said Gary Scalzo, president of Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc. “Helping these students stay on their feet means that more students can create better future for themselves and for their communities.”
The C3 program was developed in 2016, and services have included support with food insecurity, housing, and other basic needs; child and elder care; transportation and bus passes; counseling and legal services; school supplies; and healthcare. In the program’s first three years, 30% more students used these services than projected, and so far in Spring of 2024, it has served more than 800 students. The four most-used services include the food pantry, bus passes, financial resources, and technology resources.