Students Share $25,000 in CAI College Grants
Seated from left: BCA/CIC President Ross J. Pepe; Cierra Bruck, 18, of New Paltz NY; CAI Program Director Laurel Brunelle; and CAI Chariman Mark Fante of Darante Construction Ltd. Standing from left: Joshua Wyant, 19, of Germantown NY; Paul Briggs, 23, of Shrub Oak NY; Michael A. Rossi, 21, of Harrison NY; Albert Rossi, 18, of Patterson NY; and BCA Executive Director Matthew Pepe.
As part of its mission to spur improvements to the building and construction industry sectors, the Westchester-based Construction Advancement Institute (CAI) has awarded five scholarships to college undergraduate students enrolled to study science, technology, engineering, math or other courses of study this fall.
The CAI Scholarship Committee presented each student with a $5,000 grant toward the 2016-17 academic year at its headquarters in Tarrytown on August 11. The scholarship awards announcement by the CAI, which is the educational advocacy component organization aligned with the Building Contractors Association (BCA), was made by CAI Chairman Mark Fante of Darante Construction Ltd. “The Funds our industry raises and disburses for college scholarships is one of several charitable efforts the members of organized labor and our construction contracting companies perform jointly for the community,” said CAI Chairman Fante. “Our goal is to strengthen the ranks of engineers and technologists who are employed in the region to help keep our local economies competitive and growing.”
The five students receiving 2016 CAI scholarships were judged by the CAI Scholarship Committee that received nore than three dozen applications.
The winners are:
Paul Briggs, 23, of Shrub Oak NY attends Manhattan College in New York where he is pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering. He is the son of an employee of CIC-member Sentrale Construction Co. of White Plains NY.
Cierra Bruck, 18, of New Paltz NY studies Engineering at SUNY Binghamton in Binghamton NY. She is the daughter of a member of the Operating Engineers LU 137 of Briarcliff NY.
Albert C. Rossi, 18, of Patterson NY is studying Engineering at Westchester Community College in Valhalla NY. He is the son of a member of the Operating Engineers LU 137 of Briarcliff Manor NY.
Michael A. Rossi, 21, of Harrison NY is enrolled at Syracuse University in Syracuse NY where he is studying Civil Engineering. He is the son of a member of Operating Engineers LU 137 of Briarcliff Manor NY.
Joshua Wyant, 19, of Germantown NY is pursuing a degree in Engineering at Clarkson University in Potsdam NY. He is the son of a member of Carpenters Union Local 279.
The BCA/CAI program offers scholarships of $5,000 each to college-bound students who qualify. Applications will be available on this website next spring for 2017 scholarships. Scholarships are available for family members working for companies that are members of the BCA as well as non-BCA-members independent contractors that contribute to qualifying industry advancement funds.
Applications will also be accepted from eligible students who are related to the members of the following building construction union locals: Bricklayers Local 5, Carpenters Local 279, Laborers Local 235 and Operating Engineers Local 137.
Since its inception, the BCA/CAI College Scholarship Program awards have helped more than three dozen students throughout the Hudson Valley region attend undergraduate institutions throughout the U.S. Its affiliated organization, the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc., also offers college grants for children of employees of companies that are members of the CIC.
For more information about the CAl Scholarship Program, contact
Laurel A. Brunelle at (914) 631-1033 or e-mail laurel@bcanys.org