Thirty-two Monroe Community College students receiving scholarships in the next school year were celebrated at a special reception in their honor Friday afternoon.

This is the 30th year of the scholarship program at MCC first started by Greater Rochester Cablevision and continued by Time Warner Communications. Five of the students will be the first in their family to attend college.

"I got the email that said that you got the scholarship, and I was so happy, and I told my mom, I called her, I was crying, I said, ‘you know, this burden is going to be lifted off our shoulders, this is a sign that anything can be possible,’" said Dae'Morie Jackson, scholarship recipient.

"People are looking for the opportunity to further their lives, to provide for their families, to attain their dreams and create their own paths, and sometimes we need to be able to have assistance,” said Jamie Romeo, (D) Assembly – Irondequoit.

This year’s program brings the number of scholarships awarded over the years to 300, made possible now by Spectrum, the parent company of this news channel.