Tuesday’s Children announced the first recipients of its inaugural trade school scholarship.
Five recipients were awarded a sum total of $27,000 by the nonprofit organization, which is dedicated to serving the family members of those who died on Sept. 11, 2021 and resulting wars.
Tuesday’s Children was first conceived of by a group of community members who came together at a vigil on the evening of 9/11 at the Church of St. Mary in Manhasset.
The terror attack happened on a Tuesday, and by the following Tuesday, the nonprofit was formed.
“We’re coming up on 25 years, and the impacts are still profound for so many people,” Jennifer Henriquez, the director of marketing and events for Tuesday’s Children, said.
Henriquez, who has spent 25 years working in the nonprofit sector, is in charge of fundraising for Tuesday’s Children.
Henriquez works to secure funding from grants, individual donors, and corporate sponsorships to support their mentorship program, community events, and resource navigation network.
The new trade school scholarship is possible because of a partnership with Justamere Foundation which works on veteran employability and contributed the scholarship funds. The recipients were then chosen by the director of the program and CEO Becky Rossman.
Justin S, one of the scholarship recipients, was just four days old when his father died as the North Tower collapsed on 9/11. Tuesday’s Children’s scholarship will help pay for a cybersecurity course to complete his Security+ and Certified Ethical Hacker certificates.
Alyssa P, another recipient, is looking to use the money from her scholarship to become a cardiac sonographer. Her late father served in the US Air Force.
Dominic J, the son of a US Navy veteran, is also pursuing a career in medicine and will use his scholarship to help him become an emergency medical services pilot.
Shaffiyah R is the widow of an Army staff sergeant who died in 2016. Shaffiyah served in the Air Force for 17 years and will use the scholarship to pursue a certification in medical billing and coding.
Other scholarship recipients include Kelly C, who plans on being a cooking instructor; Esmeralda G, who plans on being a project manager; Jinsun J, who plans on being a massage therapist;, Anna B, who plans on being a fraud examiner; and Dala E, who plans on being a project manager.
This coming year will mark 25 years since the 9/11 attacks, and Henriquez says Tuesday’s Children is planning on ways to respectfully commemorate the anniversary for the victims’ loved ones.
