Paying homage to America’s founding mothers
Last updated Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 9:13 AM
America’s founding mothers as well as mothers of today were in the spotlight Friday, May 1, at Bucks County Community College’s 19th annual Salute to Mothers Scholarship Tea. More than 200 people attended the fundraiser to support scholarships for students who are parents, such as Kassandra Castillo, who shared her story of returning to college after losing her father to COVID-19 just before learning she was pregnant. Her father’s last words to her were, “Please graduate college and be someone important in this life.” The scholarship has helped her do just that, as she graduates May 21 with an associate degree in journalism while already working as a freelance reporter. Guests were greeted by students in colonial-era costumes, and student research posters about the women who helped forge the new nation 250 years ago were on display at the event.
Guests arriving at Bucks County Community College’s Salute to Mothers Scholarship Tea on May 1 were greeted by students in colonial costumes – courtesy of Bristol Riverside Theater - in homage to America’s founding mothers. The 19th annual fundraiser was held in the gardens behind historic Tyler Hall on the Newtown Campus. (CREDIT: Eric Parker, BCCC)
More than 200 guests gathered in the outdoor event space in Bucks County Community College’s Tyler Formal Gardens for the 19th annual Salute to Mothers Scholarship Tea on May 1. Established in 2007 by Professor Emerita Betty Tsai, the scholarship has helped more than 265 students, providing over $366,000 in financial assistance to those pursuing their academic goals while raising a family. (CREDIT: Eric Parker, BCCC)
Salute to Mothers scholarship recipient Kassandra Castillo says she returned to college in her late 20s to fulfill her father’s dying wish after he passed from COVID-19 in 2021. The journalism major credited her mother, who immigrated to the U.S. from Nicaragua at age 22, with inspiration and support to fulfill her dreams. (CREDIT: Eric Parker, BCCC)
Kassandra Castillo (right) hugs her mom after the Bucks County Community College journalism student delivered the keynote speech at the 19th annual Salute to Mothers Scholarship Tea. Castillo, who won multiple awards as editor of the student newspaper and is already working as a freelance journalist, credited her mother for helping her succeed. “Without her watching my daughter day in and day out every day while I work and go to school, I wouldn’t be here. She is the reason for my accomplishments. She is the reason I am where I am.” (CREDIT: Eric Parker, BCCC)
The 2026 Salute to Mothers Scholarship Tea Committee celebrated nearly a year’s worth of planning that included creating more than three dozen raffle baskets and gathering several more high-end silent auction items. The committee included (left-right) Nereida McCulley-Breustedt, Pam Ottenheimer, Susanne Derby, Reeti Behera, Karen O’Donnell, Mary Ellen Bornak, Elizabeth Luckenbill, Mary Jane Leonard, Susan Pfizenmayer, Amy Masgay, Samantha Gross, Andrew States, Danielle Brody, and Carole Williams (Not pictured: Betty Tsai, Marilyn Puchalski). (CREDIT: Eric Parker, BCCC)