LaGuardia Community College Celebrates Gift from Astoria Bank to Support Commercial Photography Students

Celebration Recognizes Ongoing Collaboration between LaGuardia & Astoria Bank: • Astoria Bank sponsors LaGuardia’s 4th Annual Small Business & Government Matchmaker event • Astoria Bank to showcase work of LaGuardia photography students at its LIC branch • Astoria Bank providing financial literacy workshops to LaGuardia students

Mayra DiRico, Sr. VP/Director of Retail Banking, Astoria Bank, and President of Queens Chamber of Commerce (in pink) presents a gift of $8,500 to LaGuardia Community College President Gail O. Mellow

Long Island City, NY (November 8, 2016)—LaGuardia Community College has received a gift from Astoria Bank for the college’s esteemedCommercial Photography program. The $8,500 gift will go to scholarships for tuition, books, and other expenses for students seeking associate degrees in this field, and was presented at an event held earlier today at the college. “Astoria Bank’s generous support will enable us to ensure that more students have the opportunity to pursue a career in photography. This gift reflects the excellence of our visual and performing arts programs,” said LaGuardia Community College President Gail O. Mellow. “Astoria Bank is a great friend to our college and to our students.” “Since opening our newest branch in Long Island City, Astoria Bank has become even more involved in this vibrant business community. It’s especially important for us to support a neighboring institution like LaGuardia Community College. By combining resources, we’re able to launch exciting programs that will not only help make a difference in the lives of deserving students but also strengthen local businesses,” said Astoria Bank Executive Vice President Brian Edwards. The scholarships will be administered through the LaGuardia Community College Foundation, the college’s philanthropic arm. Although tuition at LaGuardia is low compared to other colleges, making ends meet while attending college is a struggle for the majority of LaGuardia students—more than 70 percent have annual family incomes of less than $25,000. The Foundation raises money to help off-set these struggles. Since 2003, the LaGuardia Community College Foundation has raised more than $18 million, which has gone to approximately 10,000 students in the form of scholarships, emergency funds (for books, MetroCards, housing support, meal vouchers, etc.), leadership development programs, and other initiatives aimed at enhancing student success. In recognition of this generous gift, an exhibit featuring the work of LaGuardia’s commercial photography students will be showcased at the bank’s Long Island City branch at 26-26 Jackson Ave. The exhibit, entitled “LIC Past, Present & Future” is a visual documentary of Long Island City’s past as a hub of industrial design and manufacturing, its present day as a rapidly-developing neighborhood with a vibrant up-and-coming cultural scene, and predictions of what its future may look like. The exhibit, curated by Photography Program Director Scott Sternbach and his team, is expected to open in December and will be up through early next year.  

LaGuardia Community College students share the impact of scholarships on their lives with Astoria Bank executives.

“In addition to this generous gift, we’re grateful for Astoria Bank’s sponsorship of our Business Services’ annual event that helps local small businesses explore contracting opportunities with government agencies, and for the valuable financial literacy education its experts are providing at no cost to some of our students who need it the most,” said President Mellow. Astoria Bank was a co-sponsor of LaGuardia Community College’s Business Services’ 4th Annual Government & Business Matchmaker event, where local entrepreneurs meet government agencies and prime contractors one-on-one in order to discuss immediate contracting and subcontracting opportunities. Small business owners also attended workshops on how to expand their companies, and more. Astoria Bank has a long history of supporting the communities it serves by providing financial support to non-profit organizations throughout the greater New York metropolitan area. Recently, Astoria Bank’s banking professionals have begun providing financial literacy workshops on-campus for LaGuardia students. These workshops not only provide supplemental information for students enrolled in continuing education and business-related programs, but also enrich their learning experiences and equip them with real-life skills needed to excel in their careers. “Financial literacy education helps to ensure that LaGuardia students have the tools to make sound financial decisions for themselves and their families for years to come,” said Astoria Bank Executive Vice President Brian Edwards.

• • • •

About the Commercial Photography program at LaGuardia Community College LaGuardia is the only two-year institution in the City University of New York (CUNY) to offer an Associate in Applied Sciences degree in Photography. Students in the Commercial Photography program, administered by the Humanities Department, use professional photographic equipment and facilities, such as a state of the art black & white and color darkroom, shooting studios and digital imaging facility. Photography courses are taught by faculty members who are currently working in the field and are exhibiting artists, enabling students to gain experience from all over the photographic and arts spectrum in this quickly changing industry.

About LaGuardia Community College

LaGuardia Community College located in Long Island City, Queens, was founded in 1971 as a bold experiment in opening the doors of higher education to all, and we proudly carry forward that legacy today. LaGuardia educates students through over 50 degree, certificate and continuing education programs, providing an inspiring place for students to achieve their dreams. Upon graduation, LaGuardia students’ lives are transformed as family income increases 17%, and students transfer to four-year colleges at three times the national average. Part of the City University of New York (CUNY), LaGuardia is a nationally recognized leader among community colleges for boundary-breaking success educating underserved students. At LaGuardia we imagine new ideas, create new curriculum and pioneer programs to make our community and our country stronger. Visit www.laguardia.edu to learn more.

About Astoria Financial Corporation

Astoria Financial Corporation (NYSE: AF), with assets of $14.8 billion, is the holding company for Astoria Bank. Established in 1888, Astoria Bank, with deposits in New York totaling $8.9 billion, is the second largest thrift depository in New York and provides its retail and business customers and local communities it serves with quality financial products and services through 88 convenient banking branch locations, a business banking office in Manhattan, and multiple delivery channels, including its flexible mobile banking app. Astoria Bank commands a significant deposit market share in the attractive Long Island market, which includes Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties with a population exceeding that of 38 individual states. Astoria Bank originates multi-family and commercial real estate loans, primarily on rent controlled and rent stabilized apartment buildings, located in New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area and originates residential mortgage loans through its banking and loan production offices in New York, a broker network in four states, primarily along the East Coast, and correspondent relationships covering 13 states and the District of Columbia.

####