Hudson River Community Credit Union Awards Area High School Graduates with College Scholarships

CORINTH — Hudson River Community Credit Union (HRCCU) has awarded three deserving local high school seniors with $1,000 college scholarships. These scholarships will allow the recipients to offset the cost of studying at a two or four-year college or university this Fall.

The recipients of HRCCU’s 2020 College Scholarships are Jovanni Mosca, Corinth CSD; Lea Richard, South Glens Falls CSD; and Sean Pettis, Glens Falls CSD.

“We congratulate our 2020 scholarship winners for continued excellence in their schools and communities,” said CEO Sue Commanda. 

Applicants were asked to submit references, list school and community activities, and write an essay about how they plan to give back to their communities following college graduation. Finalists were selected based on a 100-point scoring system.

HRCCU has a partnership with a number of schools in the Capital Region. Dedicated to youth financial literacy, the credit union funds a financial literacy program through Banzai! in the Hudson Falls and Watervliet school districts. It also hosts a school banking program in the Corinth and Glens Falls school districts where children learn the importance of saving as well as lifelong financial skills right at school.

When the Coronavirus shutdown took effect in New York, customer interactions at Precision Upstate came to a screeching halt. The Scotia-based installer of custom closet systems and glass shower enclosures faced a serious issue.

“We went from walking through our design center side-by-side with customers to not being able to be in the same physical place as them,” said Peter Klein, President of Precision Upstate. “Our design process as we knew it was suddenly not possible.”

With some creative thinking and embracing state and CDC guidelines came a new way for Precision Upstate to work with their customers: Virtual 3D Tours. Using 360 degree camera technology, the company developed virtual tours of their Design Center and Showcase Home. These virtual tours were then added to their website so customers could explore the design possibilities from the safety and comfort of their own home.

“The response has been excellent,” said Klein. “Our customers really love the virtual tours and our designers have made them a central part of their process.”

In order to cope with the increase in business in both its commercial and residential divisions, Precision Upstate is hiring at least eight additional employees. In the spirit of making lemonade from lemons, the company has reinvented itself to meet the new normal.

“Homeowners are happy, we’re putting more people to work, and in June we paid the highest monthly bonus for employees in our company history,” said Klein. “It’s a win-win.”

Precision Upstate is located at 115 Freemans Bridge Road in Scotia with a second facility for its commercial division is Rotterdam. To take a Virtual 3D Tour of their Design Center and Showcase Home, visit www.precisionupstate.com. For more information call 518-631-5831.