PepsiCo Foundation Presents Bunker Hill Community College with $400,000 Uplift Scholarship Program Donation
Monday, November 14, 2022
PepsiCo Foundation presented Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) with a $400,000 donation to the College’s PepsiCo Foundation Uplift Scholarship Program on Thursday, supporting more than 85 student scholarships at the school.
“We are so grateful for PepsiCo Foundation’s support of our students,” said BHCC President Pam Eddinger. “These scholarship funds make a real difference in students’ lives and help to give them the financial freedom they need to be successful.”
The PepsiCo Foundation Uplift Scholarship Program currently supports 84 students at BHCC, and in addition to financial assistance to pursue their degrees, provides access to success coaching, emergency grants, and financial literacy resources.
“This money has meant the world to me,” said BHCC business student and Uplift Scholarship recipient Marc Ramirez. “It has allowed me to concentrate on my studies and to make better decisions for my future and my family’s.”
The PepsiCo Foundation’s Community College program and Uplift scholarships are part of the PepsiCo’s Racial Equality Journey, a $570 million commitment to helping dismantle systemic barriers that prevent Black and Hispanic American communities from achieving economic mobility. As part of this commitment, the scholarship program aims to provide access to professional training and higher education for 4,000 Black and Hispanic students to help address historical barriers that make it challenging for minority students to enroll, persist, and graduate from college. To date, the program has disbursed funding for nearly 1,800 scholarships across 20 cities to help its scholars pursue jobs in high-growth industries and build lasting economic opportunity. .
“Two years ago, when we began this journey, we knew we wanted the Uplift Scholarship Program to make a difference in the lives of students—to break down those barriers to success,” said PepsiCo General Manager and Senior Director Bill Larrabee. “We are proud to be a company that is experiencing enormous growth here in Boston and beyond in management, leadership, and many other positions. As students here evaluate all their career options, we hope they will consider PepsiCo.”
About the PepsiCo Foundation
Established in 1962, the PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we're focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and work—collaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance. Learn more at www.pepsicofoundation.com
Media Contact:
Brendan P. Hughes, Director of Public Affairs
Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA 02129
Phone: 617-937-9365; Email: brendan.hughes@bhcc.edu
About Bunker Hill Community College
With more than 50 years of academic excellence, Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) is Massachusetts' largest community college, annually welcoming a diverse community of around 16,000 students. With campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, BHCC extends its reach across several locations in Greater Boston. The College offers associate degrees and certificates, early college and dual enrollment, community education, corporate training, and industry-specific training programs. BHCC is celebrated for its diversity, boasting a student body where 65% identify as people of color and more than half are women. The College also embraces a global perspective, with over 600 international students representing 90 countries and conversing in more than 65 languages. Our commitment to diversity is further reflected in BHCC's designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).