STUDENTS PAMELA MORALES PEPSICO S.M.I.L.E. TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIP “Having the opportunity to connect with senior execs from different departments, learning they came from backgrounds like mine and are leading a world-renowned company like PepsiCo, is amazing. PepsiCo S.M.I.LE. changed my life.” Pamela Morales PepsiCo Foundation Scholarships The PepsiCo Foundation Uplift Scholarship program provides financial and mentoring support for current students from underserved communities pursuing degrees or professional certifications in select majors leading to employment in IT, finance, and business fields. A grant of $240,250 will support more than 100 students in the coming academic year. PepsiCo Foundation’s S.M.I.L.E. (Success Matters in Life and Education) program, for the fourth year, has provided two-year scholarships of up to $25,000 per year ($50,000 total per student) for ten SUNY WCC graduates from underserved communities pursuing bachelor’s degrees in business related fields at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the U.S. Back-To-Back Dreams Coming True As a student at SUNY WCC pursuing her A.A. in Marketing, Pamela immersed herself in the full college experience. She was a top-performing student, volunteer, and employee. She was Founding President of SUNY Westchester’s American Marketing Association collegiate chapter, Vice President of Marketing for the Westchester Events Board, and worked as the student marketing assistant for the Department of Student Involvement. These pursuits helped earn Pamela a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. Pamela was part of the inaugural cohort of PepsiCo Foundation S.M.I.L.E. Transfer Scholarship winners, enabling her to earn a bachelor’s degree in digital marketing at Baruch College and graduate with minimal debt. The scholarship came with many valuable benefits in addition to the money. Born and raised in the Bronx by Dominican immigrant parents, Pamela was the first in her family to attend college. She describes the challenge of navigating systems with which no one in her family had experience. Everything was stressful, from applying to college and approaching people she did not know to ask for guidance, to purchasing books online. But the support she received at SUNY WCC as a Viking ROADS student, and the mentorship component of the Pepsico S.M.I.L.E. scholarship, gave her confidence and taught her essential life skills, skills she could share with her family. Pamela graduated from Baruch this year and was as industrious there as she was at SUNY WCC. She served as Vice President of the Transfer Student Organization, a Transfer Peer Mentor, and Digital Director for the Initiative for the Study of Latin America in the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences. Upon graduation from Baruch, Pamela told her Pepsico S.M.I.L.E. liaison, Tracy Rue Wright, that she was eager to move to Florida, and Tracy connected her with an internship in Pompano Beach. As Pamela says, “That was more proof that Pepsi works for your dreams. I dreamed of going to a four-year college, I dreamed of moving to Florida and establishing a professional career, and now, I am proud to announce that I will be joining PepsiCo as a fulltime associate. It’s just been back-to-back dreams coming true and I’m so grateful to SUNY WCC and PepsiCo.” From left: Ilene Lieberman, Senior Director of Develpment WCCF, Pamela Morales, and Dr Carmen Martinez-Lopez, Dean, School of Business and Professional Careers 3
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