Corning Incorporated and SUNY Corning Community College Announce 2024 Nursing Scholars

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Corning Incorporated and SUNY Corning Community College Announce 2024 Nursing Scholars

Corning Incorporated and SUNY Corning Community College Announce 2024 Nursing Scholars

CORNING, N.Y. | Corning Incorporated | October 10, 2024

Corning Incorporated's Office of Racial Equality and Social Unity (ORESU) and SUNY Corning Community College (CCC) today announced this year's recipients of the Mary Eliza Mahoney Nursing Education Scholarship. They are:

• Sophomore Romario Brown of Elmira, NY
• Freshman Natalie Dauphin of Horseheads, NY
• Freshman Gilbert Elawure of Corning, NY
• Freshman Lorraine Hoff of Elmira, NY

Named after the first Black person in the U.S. to earn a professional nursing license, the annual scholarship provides support for students from racial and ethnic backgrounds underrepresented in health-related sciences. It covers tuition, fees, and supplies for up to four CCC students pursuing a two-year associate of science in nursing.

After completing the nursing prelicensure requirements, graduates must commit to work in New York's Chemung or Steuben counties for two years of full-time employment or four years of part-time employment. Two of the inaugural scholarship recipients - Maximus Ikechukwu and Tonya Craige - graduated from CCC last spring and are now working in local healthcare facilities.

Michele Johnson, Senior Manager, ORESU, Community Impact & Investment, said the scholarships draw future nurses to live and work locally during a time of nationwide nursing shortages. They also encourage diversity among local healthcare providers.

"We created this scholarship as a way to increase the number of medical providers of color, which is a key aspect of ORESU's healthcare initiative," Johnson said. "Partnering with CCC to implement this scholarship not only benefits our scholarship recipients, but also our community."

Krystal Jubilee, Director of Nurse Education, CCC, said the scholarship has increased diversity within the nursing student population, removing financial barriers for some who may have felt college was out of reach.

"These students can now leave Corning Community College and start their nursing careers free of debt. Those graduates then keep their expertise local," Jubilee said. "And there's no greater gift you can give to uplift your community than dedicating yourself to taking care of people."

William Mullaney, CCC President, shared a similar sentiment.

"The Mary Eliza Mahoney Nursing Scholarship has quickly become a true game-changer for Corning Community College nursing students," he said. "It's not a lack of ability or a lack of determination that serves as this biggest hurdle to our students; rather, it's a lack of access to sufficient resources which allow them to focus on their education. We also know these financial challenges disproportionately affect students of color. The college is grateful to our partners at Corning for helping to address the healthcare needs of the region by providing this crucial support to our nursing students."

About Corning Community Impact & Investment
Corning's Office of Racial Equality and Social Unity is part of Corning Community Impact & Investment (CI&I). Established in December 2023, CI&I centralizes Corning's racial equity and philanthropic contributions in the U.S. under a single organization to maximize impact in areas that align closely with its Values and business objectives. CI&I acts as a trusted resource to nurture vibrant, equitable communities through thought leadership, philanthropic support, and long-term partnerships.

About Corning Incorporated
Corning (www.corning.com) is one of the world's leading innovators in materials science, with a 170-year track record of life-changing inventions. Corning applies its unparalleled expertise in glass science, ceramic science, and optical physics along with its deep manufacturing and engineering capabilities to develop category-defining products that transform industries and enhance people's lives. Corning succeeds through sustained investment in RD&E, a unique combination of material and process innovation, and deep, trust-based relationships with customers who are global leaders in their industries. Corning's capabilities are versatile and synergistic, which allows the company to evolve to meet changing market needs, while also helping its customers capture new opportunities in dynamic industries. Today, Corning's markets include optical communications, mobile consumer electronics, display, automotive, solar, semiconductors, and life sciences.