Students Melec Rivera and Marc Joseph Recognized as Samuel Dunston Sr. Scholars

The Brooklyn Hospital Community Advisory Board (CAB) and The Brooklyn Hospital Center (TBHC) & Staff presented their first annual Honorable Samuel Dunston Sr. Scholarship Award Ceremony with the Class of 2023-2024 last month during an evening event in TBHC’s Main Dining Room.

The scholarship honorees were Marc Joseph and Melec Rivera, and the event was a warm tribute to the excellence, innovation, and enduring spirit of achievement that characterized the beloved Bed-Stuy entrepreneur, Mr. Dunston.

Praising and applauding the accomplishments of the outstanding scholarship awardees and their families were: hosts Dr. Kim Best, chair of the Brooklyn Hospital Community Advisory Board (CAB); Reverend Earl Jones, Sr., Brooklyn Hospital Community Advisory Board and Scholarship Committee Chair; Gary G. Terrinoni, President & CEO of the Brooklyn Hospital Center, and event emcee Lenny H. Singletary, III, Senior VP of Eternal Affairs, Strategy & Marketing of the Brooklyn Hospital Center, among a legion of other influential community leaders.

In addition to Dr. Best and Rev. Jones, the scholarship committee included Dr. JoAnn Joyner, Committee Co-Chair; Fulvia Forbes, Mavis VeronicaYon, Ray Knights, Pearl Jones, Stephanie Gumbs-Bennett, Habib Joudeh, and Delia M. Hunley-Adossa.

Pernon Dunston, son of Samuel Dunston Sr., and CEO of Golden Life Group, LLC, said his father, Samuel Dunston, who passed December 24, 2020, would have been proud to honor “two such well-deserving young men with the first Samuel Dunston Sr. Scholarship”. Mr. Dunston Sr. was the founder and President of National Allotment Insurance Agency, Ltd. He was recognized as a matchless innovative leader in the insurance and employee benefits field.

A graduate of The Academy of Urban Planning in June 2023, Melec Rivera is currently in his first year at Borough Manhattan Community College, pursuing a Liberal Arts degree in Animation and Motion Graphics. He is a graduate of The Academy of Urban Planning in June 2023. Melec, a natural leader among his peers, is praised his for his exceptional organizational skills and ability to overcome ability to overcome challenges.

A graduate of The Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design in June 2023, Marc Joseph graduated in the top 10% of his class. Known for his dedication to community service, Marc was actively involved in extracurricular activities and served as captain of the volleyball team, a student tutor, and a student ambassador. His willingness to assist his peers, coupled with his dynamic and original approach, exemplifies the core values of the Samuel Dunston, Sr. Scholarship Award.