Your Donations + Dedicated Students = College Graduates

How one New Jersey scholar got to and through college.

It is important to acknowledge the fire and determination it takes for so many of our young men and women to be admitted to college and succeed. Meet Teaneck resident, Stephen Breedon, who graduated from Cornell University in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in hotel administration and a minor in real estate.

Having attended the Academy for Culinary Arts and Hospitality Administration, a part of the prestigious Bergen Academies in Hackensack, Stephen knew at a relatively early age the career path that he wanted to follow. As a high school senior, he applied to and was accepted at Cornell University—but how would he pay for college? “I read magazines, networked and asked questions. Just a few words by someone led me to do the research. I learned of the UNCF Marriott Scholarship through many, many Google searches geared toward students interested in the hospitality industry.

The Marriott Scholarship provided $9,000 financial assistance in each of Stephen’s four years at Cornell. When asked how the funds benefited him, he replied, “The scholarship provided me with a sense of security in that it eliminated a significant amount of financial burden. Therefore, I was able to delve more freely into the total college experience—studying, learning, becoming socially involved in clubs, etc., and increasing my exposure to an array of people with thoughts and opinions different from mine.”

Currently employed by Morgan Stanley in the Real Estate Investment Banking division, Stephen is looking forward to joining Oaktree Capital in the summer of 2016.