The Foundation’s largest fundraising event of the year assists students in attaining their college degrees and enjoying the lifelong benefits and transformative power of higher education. The College serves more at-risk students than any other community college in New Jersey. More than two-thirds of HCCC students, many of whom are underrepresented or first-generation college students, report food and housing insecurity, and even homelessness. The Foundation helps remove barriers to their success through fundraising for scholarships, books, and transportation.
The 2024 Distinguished Community Service Awards will be presented to Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) International Honor Society; Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, PTK President and CEO, will accept. The College’s Beta Alpha Phi Chapter Advisor, HCCC Professor Theodore Lai, will also be honored.
“PTK leadership inspires and transforms the lives of thousands of students, their families, and beyond throughout the United States and abroad,” said HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber. “We are so proud of our HCCC Beta Alpha Phi Chapter of PTK. Under Professor Lai’s dedicated and caring mentorship of students for nearly three decades, our Chapter has served over 7,000 students who committed to academic success, service and leadership, and who are successful and making a profound impact in their lives, careers, and communities.”
Phi Theta Kappa is the official honor society for two-year colleges, recognized by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) since 1929. Founded in 1918, PTK celebrates academic achievement and fosters personal growth, leadership, and service among community and technical college students. With nearly 1,250 chapters in 11 nations and over 4.3 million students inducted, PTK provides a transformative experience, connecting its 230,000 active members to opportunities for scholarships, leadership development, and success beyond the classroom. By offering access to exclusive resources and a supportive community, PTK empowers students to excel academically and reach their full potential.
Professor Lai has led the College’s Beta Alpha Phi Chapter of PTK since 1996 and is revered for his tireless work mentoring honor society students, leading the local chapter to earn the Honors in Action and three Top 100 PTK Chapter awards. Professor Lai has received ten PTK awards: five Continued Excellence Awards for Advisors, four Distinguished Advisor Awards, and the Paragon Award for New Advisors. He also organizes student volunteer projects and events with Friends of Liberty State Park, Bike MS, MuckFest MS, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, MS, Garden State Episcopal Community Development food pantry and homeless memorial, New York City Triathlon, City Challenge, Sharkfest, and more.
Founded in 1997, the HCCC Foundation has awarded more than 2,000 scholarships totaling nearly $4 million to deserving students. The Foundation continues to make a profound impact, awarding over $300,000 in scholarships in 2024. Currently, the Foundation Endowment stands at $1,925,021 and has grown more than 18% since it was initiated in 2022, positioning the Foundation to generously and continuously support scholarships.
Several 27th Annual Gala donor opportunities are available: Individual Dinner Ticket, $500; Partial Scholarship, $2,400; Scholarship Sponsor, $4,000; Full Scholarship, $4,800; Community Sponsor $6,000; Ambassador of the Arts Sponsor, $10,000; and Jade Anniversary Sponsor, $20,000. More information and payment links can be found online at https://www.hccc.edu/community/foundation/events/gala.html.
About Hudson County Community College
Hudson County Community College serves more than 20,000 credit and non-credit students annually. The College offers more than 90 degree and certificate programs, including award-winning English as a Second Language; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management; Nursing and Health Professions; and Humanities and Social Sciences. The HCCC Culinary/Hospitality Management program was ranked number six in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools. The College’s School of Continuing Education and Workforce Development offers cutting-edge, industry-recognized, stackable credentials in alignment with high-priority workforce needs.
HCCC has partnerships with four-year colleges and universities in the greater New Jersey-New York area and beyond, accommodating seamless transfer of credits for further undergraduate and graduate education.
The College’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has been recognized with the 2021 Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Northeast Region Equity Award; the “INSIGHT Into Diversity” 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award; the “INSIGHT Into Diversity” 2022 and 2023 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award, and 2024 Inspiring Programs in Business and Health Professions Awards. The College received the 2023 Outstanding Member Institution Award from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). HCCC was a finalist in seven categories of this year’s American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) national “Awards of Excellence” and earned CEO of the Year, Faculty of the Year, and Student Success Awards.
For the third consecutive year, HCCC was selected as one of 18 community colleges in the United States to be named the “2024 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges” by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) in collaboration with “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.” HCCC was one of 22 community colleges in the nation, and the only college in New Jersey, to be recognized by ModernThink LLC and the “Chronicle of Higher Education” as a 2022, 2023 and 2024 “Great College to Work For®.” HCCC is one of two colleges in the United States to be named a Top Ten Finalist in all three program categories for the nationally recognized 2023 Bellwether Awards, and received the 2023 Bellwether Award for the College’s cutting-edge “Hudson Scholars” program, which also won the 2024 Bellwether Legacy Award.
The College’s exemplary work in advancing student success has been recognized with 2023 “Leader College of Distinction” designation by Achieving the Dream, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community colleges as catalysts for equity and mobility in their communities. HCCC was also presented the Campus Prevention Network Seal of Prevention in 2023 and 2024 for demonstrating leadership in digital prevention programming focused on student safety, well-being, and inclusion.
