PNC Scholarships Funded by Local McDonald’s Restaurant Operators

PNC-homecoming-3Purdue University North Central students will benefit from a new scholarship program funded by the Northwest Indiana McDonald’s Operators (NIMO).

The gift will provide multiple scholarships to students of all levels – freshman through master’s candidates – and all fields of study. The partnership with Purdue North Central was established in 2015 as part of NIMO’s commitment to supporting education in Northwest Indiana.

“This is a very generous gift and I thank the Northwest Indiana McDonald’s Operators for helping to make higher education more accessible to our students,” said PNC Chancellor Dr. James B. Dworkin. “We have many students and potential students who will benefit from this wonderful opportunity. Most of our students live in Northwest Indiana and the vast majority of our graduates stay here after their graduation to work and raise their families. This scholarship is a meaningful gift to Northwest Indiana.”

The scholarship celebrates individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment towards achieving their academic goals while exhibiting leadership through service of others. The scholarship program is open to full-time students who are residents of Northwest Indiana, have achieved academic excellence with a minimum 2.75 GPA, support their community through volunteer activities, serve in a leadership role in a campus club or organization, and are currently employed while pursuing their degree.

“The Northwest Indiana McDonald’s Operators are proud to partner with Purdue University North Central to enhance the scholarship offerings for local students,” said Bob Mazzaro, president of NIMO and a McDonald’s restaurant owner/operator. “Many of us have roots in the same neighborhoods where we now operate restaurants. The NIMO Scholarship program is one of the ways we can give back to the people and communities we serve every day.”

The NIMO scholarships will be offered in three separate categories:

1. McDonald’s Future Leaders – Ten scholarships, each in the amount of $1,000, will be awarded to freshman-level students pursuing a degree in any area of study.

2. McDonald’s Students of the Year –Seven scholarships, each in the amount of $1,000, will be awarded to one student from each of the following departments: College of Business; College of Engineering & Technology; College of Liberal Arts; College of Science; Graduate Studies Program; Athletics; PNC Student Organizations.

3. McDonald’s Scholar of the Year – One recipient of the Students of the Year scholarship will be chosen as the Scholar of the Year and be awarded an additional $3,000 scholarship

Students interested in the NIMO Scholarship program can visit http://www.pnc.edu/scholarships/mcdonalds/ to access the application and full instructions. The application deadline is April 30.

“The cost of higher education affects students from all socioeconomic backgrounds,” said Sam Lubeznik, a McDonald’s owner/operator in LaPorte County. “Our hope is that the new scholarship will help local students achieve their educational goals.”

The Northwest Indiana McDonald’s Operators are a group of 15 individual owner/operators with more than 50 restaurants throughout Northwest Indiana, from Whiting and Munster to Rensselaer to LaPorte. NIMO manages and facilitates all marketing, community relations, educational and philanthropic programs throughout the region, and is responsible for implementing and maintaining consistency at every McDonald’s restaurant in Northwest Indiana.