SOUTH HOLLAND, IL –MB Financial Bank (MB) presented a $25,000 check to South Suburban College (SSC) recently at their Main Campus in South Holland. The donation is a part of MB’s $45,000 commitment to support a renovation of the college’s primary conference room and to establish an endowed scholarship through the SSC Foundation (SSCF). The commitment includes an additional $20,000 endowment over the next four years to permanently establish an MB Financial Bank Scholarship Fund at the college. The donation developed through a long-standing partnership between the South Holland branch and its neighboring community college.
“MB Financial Bank and the MB Financial Charitable Foundation believe that education has the power to transform people and communities,” said Vicky Arroyo, President of the MB Community Development Corporation. “As part of our long-standing commitment to the communities we serve, we’re delighted to help South Suburban College achieve its mission as it brings an affordable education to a large and diverse student population. By working together, MB and South Suburban can help even more people achieve their goals.”
The conference room will be called the MB Financial Bank Suite. Located in the most high traffic area of the college near the Atrium and Cafeteria, the space serves as SSC’s most utilized conference room for meetings and workshops. The renovation will include new signage, modern furnishings and the most current presentation and instructional technologies. The room will be renamed with MB Financial Bank Suite signage heading into the spring semester, and SSC plans to complete the project early next year.
With the cost of higher education on the rise and the level of state funding on the decline, students are finding it more and more difficult to afford a full-time college education. The MB Financial Bank Scholarship Fund endowment will allow the SSC Foundation to award a new MB Scholarship every year. It will add another opportunity for students to the SSCF’s comprehensive range of scholarship awards based on a variety of qualifications. In 2014, the SSCF awarded over $100,000 for the sixth consecutive year, and has now awarded $1.6 million in scholarships since 1989.
“I would like to thank my friend Don De Graff and MB Financial Bank in South Holland for their commitment to education and improving our community,” said Frank M. Zuccarelli, Chairman of the SSC Board of Trustees. “I would also like to thank the wonderful people from the MB Financial Bank Community Development Corporation and MB Marketing who took the time to visit our campus and speak with our students. This project was truly a team effort that will provide some financial relief to the college and our students while also serving as an extension of the MB Financial Bank mission.”
About MB Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBFI)
MB Financial Inc. is the Chicago-based holding company for MB Financial Bank, which has approximately $15 billion in assets and a more than one hundred year history of building deep and lasting relationships with middle-market companies and individuals. MB offers a full range of powerful financial solutions and the expertise and experience of bankers who are focused on their clients’ success. Learn more about MB Financial, Inc. at www.mbfinancial.com.
About South Suburban College
Established in 1927, SSC is a comprehensive community college with a diverse annual student population of over 15,000 students. Nearly 90% of SSC students fall under the low income, first generation, or disabled criteria. The SSCF seeks funding to strengthen college programs with a primary focus on student scholarships. The Foundation is solely governed by a Board of Directors composed of the region’s business, civic and community leaders. Tim Woloszyn, of MB Financial Bank in South Holland, serves on the SSCF Executive Committee.
For more information, please email foundation@ssc.edu, or visit www.ssc.edu/foundation