A Better Chance
of Clinton and the Mohawk Valley
SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2021 - INAUGURAL EDITION
Dear Friends of ABC,

We are pleased to introduce this inaugural edition of the ABC Newsletter. This newsletter will be delivered to you on a quarterly basis and will seek to connect you more deeply with the A Better Chance Program. Future editions will include scholar and alumni spotlights, news about upcoming events, and opportunities for involvement. We welcome your feedback and ideas!

Each year, when we recruit prospective scholars and their families to join Clinton A Better Chance, we call special attention to the extraordinary support you and more than 400 other community members provide to the talented and deserving students we’re fortunate to enroll.

Whether you serve, or have served, as a board member, host family, or other volunteer – thank you. Perhaps you responded to our annual fundraising campaign, attended or donated to an extravaganza or golf tournament, purchased a wreath or poinsettia for the holidays, or supported the program in another way – thank you too. And to the Clinton Central School District Board and Administration, and the teachers and staff who welcome ABC scholars to our community’s Blue Ribbon school and provide the support and resources they often do not have in their home districts – we are profoundly grateful. 

Several weeks ago, we had a small gathering for Nigel Moore, the latest ABC scholar to graduate from Clinton High School. We shared in his joy and accomplishment, but our happiness was overshadowed by that of his extended family who expressed deep gratitude for the care, assistance and guidance Nigel received as a CCS student. His success – and that of the approximately 100 ABC graduates before him – is our community’s success. Nigel will attend Utica College in the fall.

A month earlier and 100 miles to the east, Mark Bowling, CCS Class of 2017, received his degree from Skidmore College and has moved on to begin a job in North Carolina – another ABC success story.

For almost 50 years, ABC scholars have enriched our community, just as the community has enriched our scholars. Thank you for what you’ve done to embrace our program and help transform the lives of some very special students, many of whom maintain strong friendships with the members of their adopted hometown.


Sincerely,

Mike Debraggio
Outgoing Clinton ABC President
ABC Graduates: A Success Story
Travis Hill, Incoming Co-President, ABC

While the 2020-21 academic year was challenging in a whole host of ways, the Clinton A Better Chance program overcame adversity, and we were thrilled to celebrate two graduations to close out the year. Nigel Moore graduated from Clinton High School, and Clinton ABC alum Mark Bowling graduated from Skidmore College, both as members of the Class of 2021 for their respective schools.
Nigel and Mark did not overlap during their time in Clinton, but they have quite a bit in common. They are both from the Bronx, New York, and they each joined the Clinton ABC program as sophomores in high school. When asked about what they loved the most about being part of the program, they had similar responses. Nigel and Mark both loved the family atmosphere and camaraderie in the house. They also appreciated the Clinton community, specifically their host families, and the opportunity to attend events and participate in activities.  

In Nigel’s three years in the program, he was engaged in a variety of ways. He participated in football, lacrosse, and track, with the latter being for the full three years he was in Clinton. He also served the community assisting with book collections and supporting ABC fundraisers such as the Extravaganza, wreath sale, and golf tournament. Nigel’s next adventure takes him just up the road to Utica College where he intends to study business with the goal of heading back to New York City to find his future career path.
Mark graduated from Clinton as a member of the Class of 2017. While in Clinton he was a member of the bowling team and, like Nigel, he joined lacrosse for a season. He was also a member of the stage crew for the musical. After graduating he went to Skidmore College where he majored in philosophy and minored in Latin American studies. Outside of the classroom, he was part of student government, was co-president of Model UN, and treasurer of the Philosophy Club. Even with his college career impacted by the COVID pandemic, Mark managed to study abroad in Rome, Italy, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. With his degree in hand, Mark moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, to start his new job as a data analyst for TIAA.

Congratulations to Nigel Moore and Mark Bowling. We are proud of you both and appreciate all you have brought to the Clinton A Better Chance program and the greater Clinton community. You will always be part of our family and we look forward to cheering you on in your future endeavors. 
A Better Chance Clinton
PO Box 139
Clinton, NY, 13323
(315) 557-6687