Mount Saint Mary College Honors Scholarship Donors and Recipients
Mount Saint Mary College held its annual Scholarship Appreciation Brunch bringing students who receive scholarships together with the donors and organizations that fund them, highlighting the vital role private philanthropy plays in student retention and success. The event underscored how more than 150 scholarships at the college reduce financial barriers for local students and support workforce pipelines such as nursing.
Mount Saint Mary College hosted its Scholarship Appreciation Brunch at the Osiris Country Club in Walden, gathering scholarship recipients, donors, and community partners in a ceremony that emphasized the connection between private giving and student achievement. The event allowed students to personally thank benefactors and showcased the concrete impact of scholarships on academic progress and family circumstances.
Organizers described the brunch as an opportunity to spotlight recipients and the organizations and individuals who maintain scholarship funds. The college maintains more than 150 scholarships that aim to reduce financial barriers for students, support retention, and enable timely degree completion. College leaders framed those funds as essential to student success and to the institution's role in the local education and labor ecosystems.
Among the students highlighted was nursing student Michelle Tingson Pregno, whose scholarship assistance was presented as a factor in allowing her to continue her studies while meeting family responsibilities. Her story was used to illustrate how targeted scholarship support can translate into persistence in demanding programs and a clearer pathway into in demand local professions.
The brunch brought into relief the practical benefits for Orange County. Scholarships help lower the out of pocket cost of higher education for residents, increasing the likelihood that students from diverse economic backgrounds will remain enrolled and graduate. For professions that face regional shortages, such as nursing, those completed credentials translate into immediate workforce gains for local hospitals, clinics, and long term care providers. College officials and donor representatives used the occasion to encourage continued investment in scholarship funds to expand those outcomes.
The event also reinforced the role of community partnerships in sustaining higher education access. Private philanthropy and local organizational support supplement state and federal aid, creating a mosaic of funding that can be more adaptable to individual student needs. For many families in the county, those scholarships relieve pressure on household budgets and make college attendance a realistic prospect.
For local residents, the brunch served as a reminder that investments in scholarships are investments in the region's future talent and economic stability. As Mount Saint Mary College continues to recruit and retain students, the availability and renewal of scholarship support will remain a key lever for promoting educational attainment and supporting the county workforce.
