Professor Emerita at Suffolk County Community College (SCCC), Sister Mary Ann Borrello, OP, has spent a lifetime extending compassion and support, especially to students in need. With advanced degrees in anthropology and sociology, and scholarly expertise in Spiritism and Puerto Rican funeral customs, her true passion has always been helping others.
That passion took root in the 1960s while teaching at St. Rita’s Elementary School in the South Bronx, where she saw firsthand how poverty and hunger hindered students’ ability to learn. Later, at SCCC’s Brentwood campus, she recognized similar struggles among college students and took action.
Starting with a small Thanksgiving food drive in 1974, Sister Mary Ann launched the college’s first campus-based food pantry in 1976. Today, that pantry continues to serve students and families facing food insecurity—an issue she estimates affects nearly 30% of college students.
Known affectionately as a “campus hustler,” Sister Mary Ann inspired a culture of generosity. Whether organizing blood drives, forming the Angels Club to unite students and staff in support, or helping individuals with urgent needs, she was the one everyone turned to. “What do you need?” was always her first question.
One student, struggling to finish her final semester after her car broke down, credits Sister Mary Ann with helping her graduate. Today, that student is a teacher in Florida—one of many whose lives have been changed by Sister Mary Ann’s care.
Even in retirement, her work continues through the Sister Mary Ann Helping Hands Fund, which supports SCCC’s food pantries. In 2020, she expanded her efforts by launching the College-Wide Hardship Fund, offering direct financial aid to students facing unexpected crises. Now working toward a $50,000 endowment—already halfway there—the fund aims to provide lasting support for generations to come.
Grounded in faith and compassion, Sister Mary Ann believes in the goodness of people and the power of empathy. Her legacy lives on through every student nourished, every need met, and every life lifted by a helping hand.