Howard Community College

DEPARTMENTS <<< A LOOK AT ALUMNI BANKING ON A SOLID FOUNDATION Chris Marasco understands how difficult it is to make ends meet when you are a college student paying your own way through school. The HCC alumnus and senior vice president at Howard Bank worked full-time to support himself when he attended college. As a result of his experience, Chris has great compassion for the many HCC students who are trying to study and improve their career opportunities while balancing jobs and family responsibilities. The new chairman of the HCC Educational Foundation (HCCEF) board plans to help as many of those students as possible by leading the foundation in raising funds for academic scholarships. The HCCEF, established in 1978, is a nonprofit corporation that provides funds for scholarships, grants, facilities, equipment, and programs that benefit the college and its students. The organization's mission and Marasco's are one and the same: to make learning accessible to all students, regardless of their financial status. HCC alumnus Chris Marasco. New opportunities Although he describes himself as an foundation board. In his role as foundation uninspired student in high school, Chris chair, which he began in October, Chris has graduated from HCC with honors, but ambitious goals in mind. The importance of a college education worried about the cost of attending a four- "I want to attract passionate and engaged became apparent to Chris several years after year institution. "Professor Marinich told professionals to the board. We need to invite he graduated from high school. "I went me about the University of Baltimore (UB) more potential donors to campus, so they directly into the workforce and soon realized Wilson Presidential Scholarship, designed can share in the excitement and energy of that a college degree would open up much for transfer students with a grade point students attending classes. And I want to better career opportunities," he says. average of 3.5 or higher. I applied and was see us build the foundation's endowment granted a scholarship, which covered 50 with funds that will be working for us in percent of my tuition." perpetuity," he explains. While working during the day for a government contractor, Chris attended HCC classes at night. He wanted to earn Chris transferred to UB as a business As an alumnus of HCC, Chris finds his an associate's degree and transfer to a four- major, with a concentration in finance. He volunteer role especially rewarding, and he year college. continued to work full-time while taking nine invites other alumni to join him in giving back credits each semester – a very demanding to the college. "Whether you volunteer at a schedule, yet he graduated summa cum laude. welcome table on campus, help build a student "From the start, I was impressed with the quality of the HCC curriculum and the faculty. scholarship for a specific curriculum, or The campus provided a great atmosphere for studying," says Chris. "I valued the small classes, and I received wonderful guidance, Giving back Chris' effort to give back to HCC began connect the foundation with people you know in the community – your contributions will especially from my history professor and 16 when he volunteered on the Grand Prix help current and future students to have the mentor, Vladimir Marinich." board and evolved to his participation on the opportunities we were privileged to enjoy." Pathways | Howard Community College Spring 2012

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