Brandy Cormier of Pittsfield Awarded Rhoda Rubin Memorial Nursing Scholarship
June 8, 2007
Great Barrington, MA —The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation today announced that Brandy Cormier of Pittsfield is this year’s recipient of the Rhoda Rubin Memorial Nursing Scholarship. The scholarship annually awards $1,000 to a resident of Berkshire County who is pursing a nursing degree at Berkshire Community College. Lois Bessett, a close friend of Rhoda Rubin and former co-worker at the Pittsfield Health Department, presented the award last Friday, June 1, at the college.
Rhoda Rubin, a long-time Pittsfield resident, worked for the Pittsfield Health Department as a school and public health nurse for more than 28 years, in addition to working evenings at the former Hillcrest Hospital for 30 years. She raised her three children by herself while working two and, at times, three, jobs. Rubin received many awards and honors from the city of Pittsfield for her civic contributions and volunteer work before her death in 2004 at the age of 71.
Rubin’s children, Debbie, Ron and Lane, created the scholarship in 2005 in honor of their mother. “We are thrilled to award Brandy the second Rhoda Rubin Scholarship,” said Rubin’s children. “Brandy is devoted to helping others and demonstrates a strong drive towards achieving her academic and professional goals.”
Cormier is currently a full-time student at Berkshire Community College, and works part-time at Melbourne Place as a certified nursing assistant. She will graduate in spring of 2008 and plans to continue her nursing education at UMASS Amherst.
The Rhoda Rubin Memorial Nursing Scholarship is accepting donations in the hope of increasing the number of annual scholarships awarded. Gifts can be mailed to the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation at 271 Main St. Suite 3, Great Barrington, MA 01230.
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that cultivates philanthropy in ways that have a direct positive impact on the cities and towns of Berkshire County, Massachusetts; Columbia County, New York; northeast Dutchess County, New York; and northwest Litchfield County, Connecticut. For more information please contact Berkshire Taconic at 271 Main Street, Suite 3, Great Barrington, MA, 800-969-2823, email info@berkshiretaconic.org or visit www.berkshiretaconic.org.
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