Though she began her schooling at P.S. 71 in the Bronx, Marisa Garvin was able to attend Preston High School due in large part to the scholarship she received from CCF. At Preston she started the school newspaper during her junior year and was its Editor-in-Chief for two years, all while excelling in her classes and serving as President of the National Honor Society and National English Honor Society.

Attending Preston taught Marisa how to be a compassionate leader and instilled in her that in everything one does, there is always a way to help others and give back to the community. Marisa was a part of various fundraisers for organizations such as the Coalition for the Homeless and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. She also started a letter writing program at school for Operation Gratitude and Love for the Elderly that extended beyond the walls of Preston to local middle schools around the Bronx. Marisa credits the Preston staff, administration, guidance department, and her fellow classmates as all being instrumental in her success.

Focused on a potential career in organizational psychology, Marisa started her first year at Fordham University at the Gabelli School of Business this past fall, majoring in Business Administration with concentrations in marketing, social innovation, and business law and ethics and a minor that she is still deciding on, in either English or psychology. No matter what career path she takes, she plans on giving back to her community by advocating for mental health education in schools.

In only her first year at Fordham, Marisa has been awarded the 2020 Gabelli School of Business EY Woolworth Award and is also a Manresa Scholar. This semester she was selected to work on the Communication and Marketing Committee for Fordham’s United Student Government.

She also has created a business plan that incorporated the United Nation’s Sustainably effort of Good Health and Wellbeing with four of her classmates. After pitching their business plan, the team became one of 19 semi-finalists, then one of six finalists, in the PVH Ground Floor Competition. Placing in third in the Competition was a transformative and affirming experience for Marisa.

Marisa learned of the CCF Scholarships after her brother was awarded one to attend high school. She says, “to receive a scholarship for high school meant the world to me. I was able to make an easy decision between an accredited public school or Preston High School, a prestigious private school that I knew was the right choice.” Thanks to the CCF scholarship, she plans to use what she learned about leadership in Preston and what she will learn about the business world during her four years at Fordham to start a successful career.