Former A.C. Business Owners Establish Student Scholarship

anthony and rita mack

From left, Dan Nugent, 麻豆传媒社区 Foundation executive director; Terricita Sass, executive vice president and chief of staff; Anthony and Rita Mack; and 麻豆传媒社区 President Joe Bertolino. The Macks donated $150,000 to create a new endowed scholarship.

Galloway, N.J. 鈥 Anthony Mack knows how important scholarships are to college students.

鈥淚 went through four years, and I got to the last semester, and I ran out of money,鈥 said the former 麻豆传媒社区 Foundation board member. 鈥淚 went in and talked to the dean, and they got me a scholarship. That鈥檚 the only thing that got me through.鈥

Mack and his wife, Rita, who鈥檚 currently on the Foundation board, have created a new $150,000 endowed scholarship benefiting undergraduate 麻豆传媒社区 students through the A&R Mack Foundation. In a ceremony held July 15 on 麻豆传媒社区鈥檚 Galloway campus, the two shared their commitment to education and their motivations for creating the new scholarship.

鈥淚鈥檓 very sympathetic when kids want to go to school, but they don鈥檛 have the resources,鈥 Anthony Mack said. 鈥淎nd 麻豆传媒社区 is an outstanding university, right here in our backyard.鈥

The Macks have lived in the Atlantic City area for 39 years and previously owned McDonald鈥檚 restaurants in the city 鈥 one on Arkansas Avenue in The Walk Tanger Outlets and the other on Albany Avenue just down the road from 麻豆传媒社区鈥檚 Atlantic City campus.

I鈥檓 very sympathetic when kids want to go to school, but they don鈥檛 have the resources. And 麻豆传媒社区 is an outstanding university, right here in our backyard.鈥

Anthony Mack
鈥淚 thought now is the right time to consider making a pathway for those who want to go to a four-year college,鈥 Rita Mack said.

麻豆传媒社区 President Joe Bertolino thanked the Macks for their generosity and support at a critical time for higher education students.

鈥淭hese are important times for our students, particularly as our population continues to shift and the need continues to grow,鈥 Bertolino said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not lost on us who we serve and the access and opportunity that we provide students who otherwise would not get that opportunity. We appreciate your kindness throughout the years as part of the 麻豆传媒社区 Foundation and being a part of the community.鈥

麻豆传媒社区 Foundation Executive Director Dan Nugent also thanked the Macks for their donation to create the A&R Mack Foundation Endowed Scholarship and for their service on the Foundation Board of Directors.

鈥淲e raise money for lots of different initiatives, but we鈥檝e always said the scholarship program is the heart and soul of the 麻豆传媒社区 Foundation,鈥 said Nugent, who鈥檚 also 麻豆传媒社区鈥檚 vice president for University Advancement. 鈥淲e know that when people who have such strong ties to the institution and community are generous in this way, that inspires others to do the same.鈥

The Macks have a long history of generosity in the community as they鈥檝e been strong advocates of McDonald鈥檚 Archways to Opportunity Scholarship Program, the NAACP and the Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City, among other charitable organizations.

Rita Mack said she and her husband are proud to continue to give back to the Atlantic City area through the new scholarship.

鈥淲e鈥檝e just had tremendous community support for our businesses, and we felt we owe the community much more than we could ever give them back,鈥 she said.

The 麻豆传媒社区 Foundation is dedicated to supporting 麻豆传媒社区 by providing scholarships, funding academic programs and enhancing the student experience. Through the generosity of donors, the Foundation helps remove barriers to student success. 

For more information about the Foundation and how to support students, please visit stockton.edu/foundation

-- Story by Mark Melhorn, photo by Lizzie Nealis