How will Bristol Community College spend a $120,000 gift from the Neto Foundation?
FALL RIVER – Bristol Community College will be able to help more individuals begin their college career and assist some students pursuing Portuguese Studies thanks to a significant donation of $120,000 from the Neto Foundation.
Of that amount, $100,000 will be used to establish an endowed scholarship in the Neto Foundation’s name, which will support students who wish to pursue an education at BCC, and $20,000 will be used to supplement the funding for the José Francisco Costa Endowed Scholarship.
Established last year in honor of Emeritus Professor of Portuguese at BCC and LusoCentro founder José Francisco Costa, the José Francisco Costa Endowed Scholarship supports students taking Portuguese classes or enrolled in the Portuguese/English Community Interpreting Certificate program.
The gift was presented to Bristol’s President Laura L. Douglas and Chief Development Officer Judi Urquhart during a ceremony on April 9 at the college’s Fall River Campus.
“I was so grateful to have earned my education here in the United States after immigrating here as a teenager,” said Neto Foundation Founder and President Manuel Fernando Neto in a prepared statement. “Education has helped pave a path to success and now, through this scholarship, it is my way of paying it forward.”
A native of Faial, Azores, Neto came to the United States in 1960. He is the founder of Neto Insurance Agency and a former New Bedford city councilor.
In addition to being a successful businessman and public servant, he was instrumental in founding or co-founding many of the organizations and programs that sprang up in the 1970s to meet the needs of the recently arrived Portuguese immigrants in this area, including the movement for bilingual education in Massachusetts, the Immigrants’ Assistance Center, and Casa da Saudade Library.
His success has allowed him to support numerous organizations and causes over the years.
“Mr. Neto’s donation will help tremendously support more students in their academic journey,” said Dr. Carlos Almeida, the director of LusoCentro, the college’s academic center dedicated to the study of the language and culture of Portuguese-speaking communities.
In attendance at the check presentation ceremony were Manuel Neto, Helen Neto, Rosemary Neto Hazzard, Fernando Neto, Jenna Neto Noudjam, Chloe Neto and President of the Bristol Community College Foundation Board of Directors Frank B. Sousa III.
For more information, please visit www.bristolcc.edu/scholarships or email bccfoundation@bristolcc.edu.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Bristol Community College receives $120,000 from the Neto Foundation
