Peirce College Announces Winners of the Mayor’s Scholarship Program in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Peirce College announced the winners of the second annual City of Philadelphia Mayor’s Scholarship during a presentation yesterday in the Mayor's Office at City Hall.

“I would like to thank Peirce College for their partnership on this initiative.”

The Mayor’s Scholarship is one of the City's programs designed to help Philadelphians further their education. Peirce supports the program by awarding scholarships to a City of Philadelphia employee and a city resident. The scholarships cover full tuition and fees. This year’s winners are Gregory Wilson, II and Ann Marie Daly.

“We are very pleased to be a part of the Mayor’s Scholarship program. This year we had 38 wonderful candidates,” said Nadine Maher, Dean, Enrollment Management for Peirce College. “Because Peirce provides career-oriented education to working adults, these scholarships can help change lives and make a major difference for our students, the majority of whom receive some form of financial aid,” she said.

Each candidate had to complete an essay entitled "What do you love most about living in Philadelphia?” and provide two letters of recommendation.

The City of Philadelphia Employee award recipient, Gregory Wilson, wants to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Wilson, who lives in West Philadelphia with his wife and daughter, has been an employee of the City of Philadelphia in the Department of Records for 16 years and is currently a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist. According to Joan Decker, Commissioner of the Records Department, Wilson earned his position by testing and placing first in the entire city for his specific job.

Wilson not only wants the scholarship to help his own goals but also to serve as an example of motivation and determination for his family. What did he write about living in Philadelphia? “There is a lot more to Philadelphia than what is seen on the surface. Besides its rich history and great food, there is an abundance of musical talent and appreciation of culture, as well as a commitment to educating people to help others.”

Ann Marie Daly is the City of Philadelphia Resident award recipient. Besides interning for the City of Philadelphia’s Office of the Director of Finance, she is also a work-study student assisting at the Peirce College library. She is a mother of three and lives in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. Daly was also a recipient of Peirce’s Paralegal Scholarship award in 2010 and is very active with the Peirce Paralegal Student Association.

On June 13 she graduated with an Associate degree in Paralegal Studies and hopes to attain her Bachelor’s in Paralegal Studies by 2012. Her fondness of the law, specifically based around education and employment, came to her early: her mother was an attorney and her father a paralegal. The key point in her essay was that Philadelphia is a vibrant city offering a wide variety of activities, in center city and the surrounding neighborhoods.

“The City’s partnerships with colleges and universities throughout the region are one of the sources for Philadelphia’s improving college graduation attainment rate,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “I would like to thank Peirce College for their partnership on this initiative.”

"Peirce has been an outstanding partner with the Mayor's Office of Education. They have been both responsive and innovative around the City's educational goal of increasing the college attainment rate. These scholarships are just one example of their commitment to Philadelphians who are on the path to getting their degree," said Dr. Lori Shorr, Chief Education Officer for the City of Philadelphia.

“The Peirce College community is very grateful to the Mayor and Dr. Shorr for their leadership in driving higher college degree attainment rates for our citizens. We are honored to play a part in assisting them with this critically important agenda item,” said James J. Mergiotti, Peirce College President & CEO.

Peirce College also support's Mayor Nutter’s PhillyGoes2College initiative and Graduate! Philadelphia, a joint venture of the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board and the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

About Peirce College

Peirce College offers bachelor’s and associate degree programs in the areas of Business, Healthcare, Information Technology and Legal Studies. Located in the heart of Philadelphia, Peirce is a non-profit institution that specializes in serving the unique needs of working adults, many of whom work full time and are raising families. In response to the changing demands of the economy and the prospect for future jobs in the Philadelphia market, Peirce recently introduced additional degree programs in Healthcare Administration, Human Resource Management, Accounting, and Criminal Justice. Peirce College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104 (phone: [phone]). The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs accredits the College's Business Administration program and the Paralegal Studies program is approved by the American Bar Association.

For more information about Peirce College, call 888.GO.PEIRCE, or visit www.peirce.edu.

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