The Bonura family, left to right: Joseph A. Bonura, Michael Bonura, Michael Bonura Jr., and Mary Bonura.
Thanks to gifts from a pair of generous donors, Mount Saint Mary College students studying Accounting now have two additional scholarship opportunities.
At the Mount, nearly 90 percent of first-year students receive scholarships and grants, with the average freshman scholarship and grants totaling more than $30,000.
Bonura Family Scholarship
The Bonura Family Scholarship is named after local restaurateur Joseph A. Bonura and his wife, Mary. Joseph and Mary have been business and community leaders in the Greater Hudson Valley for more than 50 years.
The scholarship – to be given to five students this year with additional students slated to receive it in the future – will support academically strong Mount students who are pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting. Recipients will be in their junior year with a GPA of 3.2 or higher.
The scholarship marks another milestone in a fruitful relationship between the Bonura family and Mount Saint Mary College. For example, the Mount honors community leaders at the annual Leadership Gala Reception with the Joseph A. Bonura Award for Leadership Excellence, which recognizes individuals or organizations whose professional accomplishments, service to the community, and leadership reflect the same commitment to quality, concern for neighbors, and shared prosperity that have exemplified Joseph Bonura’s career.
With Joe Sr. as the patriarch, the family’s longevity of success can be attributed to a strong, focused work ethic; collaborative communication with family members meeting regularly to discuss new locations, concepts, and menus; an agreement to reinvest in the business rather than live lavishly; continually striving to set rather than follow trends; and utmost to never lose their family business core and values.
DeBenedictus Family Endowed Scholarship
The DeBenedictus Family Endowed Scholarship in Memory of Thomas C. DeBenedictus honors its namesake, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and founding partner of Vanacore, DeBenedictus, DiGovanni, and Weddell LLP (presently known as RBT CPAs, LLP). He retired in 2012 and, after enjoying more than a decade focusing on his family, passed away peacefully in July of 2024.
The scholarship, for Mount Accounting students, was created by his loving wife, Rosanne DeBenedictus. It can be awarded to an incoming full-time, first-year student or a continuing student enrolled full-time. Recipients must also be from the City of Newburgh. The award is renewable, as long as the student recipient continues to meet the eligibility requirements.
Tom was a firm believer in volunteerism. He was Director of the NYS Society of CPAs, Chairman of Leadership Orange and the Mount Saint Mary College Board of Trustees Finance Committee, board member of the Newburgh Family Health Center, St. Cabrini Home, and Riverside Bank, and he held various positions on the Orange County Chamber of Commerce.
The Mount will be forever grateful to Tom for his excellent leadership and dedication to our students.
If you’re interested in supporting either of these scholarships, please contact Nikki Khurana-Baugh at 845-569-3216 or at Nikki.Khurana-Baugh@msmc.edu