SCCC gets scholarship donation

The Sussex County Community College (SCCC) Foundation received a scholarship donation from the Matthew B. Hakoun Memorial Scholarship.

This scholarship was established by a $100,000 gift from Mitchell and Barbara Hakoun in honor of their son Matthew B. Hakoun.

The CKW Charitable Foundation will administer the underlying investments and distribute up to $7000 in scholarship funds to eligible SCCC students annually and in perpetuity. The CKW Charitable Foundation was created in 2005 by the Partners of CKW, LLC, an accounting firm in Sparta, NJ to give back to the communities it serves in Northwest New Jersey.

For students to benefit from this scholarship, they must be a Sussex County resident, with preference given to students involved in a business or health science program at SCCC. The first recipient to receive this scholarship was Tyler Simpson, a second-year student at SCCC. He is majoring in business management and plans to transfer to a 4-year college upon graduation.

“My brother Matthew thought Sussex County Community College was the perfect fit and it gave him a great start and foundation,” stated Tara Hakoun Rodriguez, Matthew’s sister. "The impact SCCC had on his life set forth an excellent directory for him. He went on to receive his bachelor’s degree and became a financial consultant on Wall Street. My father, Mitchell, felt SCCC was the best place to donate and give other students a great start to their education. This College means so much to my family."

“This endowed scholarship will help students for years to come and will make a lasting difference towards the education of those who receive it. We are grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Hakoun for making SCCC the beneficiary of this gift”, stated Monica Lemperle, director of the SCCC Foundation.