On August 19, LoBiondo Law presented a Scholarship Check for $600 to Orange County Community College freshman Leora Turner.

Turner graduated NFA Class of 2022 and was one of dozens of students at NFA who applied for the Marie and Mariano Muyot Memorial Scholarship. The Guidance Department at NFA administers the scholarship and chooses the recipient, said Juliana Muyot LoBiondo, an attorney in Newburgh and daughter of the late Mariano and Marie Muyot. This is their 5th year providing the scholarship.

“This scholarship is a big help, it will cover the cost of all of my books this year,” said Turner, who is studying Psychology at OCCC.

The Marie and Mariano Muyot Scholarship is awarded to an NFA student each year who will be attending community college the following fall. Mariano Muyot had been attending college in the Philippines when he answered the call to join the U.S. Navy at Subic Bay in Manila. He went on to serve in the Navy for seven years, ship side, said LoBiondo. He was still in the Navy when he married his wife, Marie Muyot, and when his two children were born. Mariano became a US citizen by serving in Vietnam, specifically the Gulf of Tonkin. He moved to the United States and began working for IBM.

“To finish up his college degree, IBM sent my Dad to Dutchess County Community College, where he received his associates degree in 1971,” said LoBiondo. “He went on to live a happy, successful and productive life, and he was able to do that because of Dutchess County Community College. That is why the scholarship is awarded to a student who will be attending community college.”

“In addition, my mother attended SUNY Albany Teachers college, and was a public school teacher for over 30 years. She was a big proponent of the SUNY college system.”

“We are proud of Leora, and wish her all the best,” said Anthony LoBiondo. “She was an outstanding student at NFA and will surely go on to great things at Orange County Community College.”