MCC Daily Tribune Archive

The Mary Porcari Brady, RN Emergency Student Support Fund has been established within MCC's nursing program, part of a $250,000 commitment to nursing students in Rochester by the surviving children of the late Mrs. Brady, a 1972 MCC alumna.

“The Porcari family has found a unique way to honor their mother’s memory and passion for nursing,” said R. Thomas Flynn, president, Monroe Community College. “The emergency fund will help future nurses to complete their studies and contribute to Greater Rochester’s efforts to overcome its nursing shortage. More nurses will be able to complete their education and pursue rewarding careers thanks to the generosity of Mrs. Brady’s children,” he said.

The emergency student support fund—the largest of its kind at MCC—is available to nursing students facing unexpected costs outside of the classroom, situations that may otherwise force a student to delay his or her studies or even withdraw from the nursing program. Challenges may range from child care issues to transportation needs.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer nursing students this important resource when an unexpected crisis comes between them and their studies,” said Laurel Sanger, chairperson, Department of Nursing. “Each year, we have several students who face financial hardships that affect their education. We thank Mary Brady’s children for their desire to give back to MCC and to the Rochester community in such a meaningful way,” she said.

Over 340 nursing students are matriculated in MCC’s nursing program. Approximately 120 students graduate from the program each year.

Following the loss of her youngest child, Mary Porcari Brady embarked on a long career of service and volunteerism after becoming a registered nurse first at Park Avenue, then Park Ridge Hospital, where she worked while raising her four surviving children. She volunteered for various Rochester area charities including Rochester Area Multiple Sclerosis (RAMS) and The March of Dimes.

After leaving Rochester, Mrs. Brady continued her nursing career in Cortland, N.Y., then Oswego, N.Y. She died unexpectedly in 2001. Her surviving children, Jinny Porcari (Michael) Keough of Atlanta, Ga., Jim (Vicky) Porcari of Alpharetta, Ga., and John (Heidi) Porcari and Chuck (Jennifer) Porcari, both of Cheverly, Md., pooled resources to fund a commitment to her memory in the community they will always call “home.”

“While life and circumstances have physically taken us elsewhere, one of Mom’s many gifts to us was to instill in my brothers and myself a sense of obligation to the place that gave her—and us—so much,” Ms. Keough said. “No matter what our current address, Rochester will always be home, and that is something we take very seriously.”

Recipients of the Mary Porcari Brady, RN Emergency Student Support Fund will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the MCC Nursing Department faculty. Five students have already been helped by the fund.