 Bramson ORT College to Offer Twin Towers Scholarships |
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Sofia Yegorova, an immigrant from Moscow, arrived in New York last October with big dreams for her life in
America. She quickly found a good job as a clerk at the Marriott World Trade Center Hotel and settled into
her new home in Brooklyn. After the September 11th tragedy destroyed her workplace, Sofia applied for unemployment and looked for ways to rebuild her career. She read about Bramson ORT College in "Russian Bazaar", a Russian-language publication, and decided to enroll at the college's Bensonhurst location for a degree in computer programming so she could find a better job. Sofia is the first recipient of Bramson ORT's new Twin Towers Scholarships. The scholarships, a joint program of Bramson ORT College and American ORT, were created to provide educational assistance for those affected by the September 11 disaster. Survivors, victims' families, those left unemployed by the crisis, and those affiliated with the New York City police force, fire department, or EMS are invited to apply for the tuition grants. Dr. Ephraim Buhks, director of ORT Operations USA, said that the grants would apply to associate's degree programs as well as non-matriculated courses and would cover the full cost of tuition and fees, approximately $9,000 per student per year. "It's our patriotic duty, as well as ORT's mission, to improve employment opportunities for those affected by the September 11th tragedy," he said. As of mid-November, several dozen potential students had already responded to ads about the scholarships. "We at American ORT felt very deeply about the tragedy, and we wanted to do something meaningful to help the families who suffered," said Irma Friedman, national campaign director for American ORT. "Education is the way that we can make a difference." On November 7, Bramson held an open house for students interested in the Twin Tower Scholarships. 13 potential students-including laid-off airline workers, World Trade Center workers, and one widow-talked with instructors and administrators to learn more about Bramson's job training programs in computer programming, business management, executive secretary, accounting, and electronics technology. Founded in 1977, Bramson ORT College is one of the educational institutions administered by ORT Operations USA, part of the worldwide ORT movement, which focuses on job-oriented educational training. For more than two decades, Bramson has provided the cutting-edge business and technical skills its mostly immigrant students need to succeed in the American workplace. With its emphasis on immediate job placement, Bramson is uniquely suited to the current situation in New York City, in which numerous people find themselves in need of more advanced skills in order to secure employment in an economic downturn. |
