BMCC Student Is the College's First to Win $5,000 Udall Scholarship

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Borough of Manhattan Community College

May 20, 2011, 03:47 ET

NEW YORK, May 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Borough of Manhattan Community College science major Lisa Bloodgood is among 80 recipients, nationwide, of the coveted Udall Scholarship—one of very few community colleges students, to receive the award.

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The Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation provides federally funded scholarships to college students building environmental careers, and Native American students pursuing tribal policy or health care careers.

Bloodgood received the award for her studies in phytoremediation—using plants to clean toxins from soil and water.

This year, the Udall Foundation reports, over 95% of its 510 student applicants were from 4-year colleges, which makes Bloodgood's award particularly satisfying.

Bloodgood, who received the Foundation's maximum $5,000 scholarship, feels her community work, as well as special opportunities at BMCC helped distinguish her from over 500 other applicants.

At PS 123, an elementary school in Bushwick, Brooklyn, she's helping create a student garden. She also reached out to the MillionTreesNYC, and soon the school will be breaking through asphalt, to plant saplings on its grounds.

At BMCC, emboldened by a successful Student Government Association effort to replace Styrofoam in the cafeteria with paper products, Bloodgood is working with administration and faculty to create a sustainability club and focus attention on a greener campus.

"People care," she says. "I think it can gain momentum and we can really develop something here."

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), enrolls 23,000 degree-seeking and 10,000 continuing education students a year. The largest community college in The City University of New York (CUNY) system, BMCC has students from over 150 countries, and awards associate degrees in 28 fields.

Related Links:

Borough of Manhattan Community College

BMCC Science Department

Contact: Lynn McGee
212-346-8501
[email protected]

SOURCE Borough of Manhattan Community College