HONORING
Founded in 1909 by Miss Sarah Switzer, the Switzer Foundation is a private, non-profit charitable corporation organized under the laws of the State of New York. Originally named the Margaret and Sarah Switzer Memorial Institute, the name was changed in 1950 to Switzer Foundation. Foundation members are volunteers selected for their interest and ability to help the Foundation's purpose. Members elect directors who are responsible for the management and operation of the Foundation's activities. Miss Sarah Switzer was president of the Foundation from its formation until her death in 1920. Under her leadership the Foundation built the Margaret and Sarah Switzer Memorial Institute, a school for working women in Greenwich Village. The Margaret and Sarah Switzer Memorial Institute opened in 1911 at 27 Christopher Street in New York City. This location included a 38-woman residence and offered classes in dressmaking, millinery, typing and shorthand. The building was sold in 1923. At the time of her death in 1920, Miss Sarah Switzer had donated land along New Jersey's Manasquan River to the Foundation for a convalescent home for women and was making plans for building it. After Miss Sarah's passing, the Foundation built Sunnyside Farm and operated it from 1922 to 1956. Eventually the Institute and the rest home became outmoded due to changing regulations and the cost of providing these services. In 1958 the Foundation discontinued direct training and health care. Since then the aims of the Misses Margaret and Sarah Switzer have been expressed in scholarships for women, with preference for nursing and other health service careers.
Since 2008, the Switzer Foundation has been one of Kingsborough Community College's most generous and consistent philanthropic partners. Thanks to the Switzer Foundation Nursing Scholarship, hundreds of talented, hardworking KCC nursing students have received vital financial assistance, without which they would have struggled to afford their education.
The journey to become a nurse is a demanding one. While other students may have time to pursue employment, nursing students seldom do, as their program extends beyond the typical school-day to include lab and clinical work. Aside from tuition, nursing students must also pay for textbooks, materials, equipment and fees for licensing exams. With less time to look for (let alone take on) work and more expenses to shoulder than the average student, KCC's nursing majors are often only one or two setbacks away withdrawing from college entirely. It is for these reasons that the Switzer Foundation's generosity has made such a life-changing difference for nearly sixteen years!