ALBIE MORAN

Albie Moran might never have known about BEST if not for his persistent mother.

“When I was a senior in high school, my mother made me apply for all the scholarships I could,” Albie says. “After I received a BEST scholarship, I learned a lot more about the organization through Judy and Billy. They and everyone at BEST have been as supportive as possible.”

And my, what support young Albie needed! After a difficult first year at Moravian College—the wide receiver on the Division 3 football team had some time-management issues, Albie got a (figurative) swift kick from Billy.

“I reported to him every month,” Albie recalls. “Told him how my grades were, what I was doing around campus, how sports were going. We’d speak for 20 minutes and there was no way to slip something by him.”

Soon Albie got his schedule—and not coincidentally, his education—back on track. “My freshman

year I failed calculus, so it was good Billy was there helping me get straightened out,” Albie says. “It was just what I needed, when I needed it.”

He also needed some confidence. Enter BEST volunteers again, this time those planning for Albie’s senior year banquet. “The people at BEST have given me hope and are probably the only people who could make me speak in public,” Albie says with a laugh.

Albie has returned the favor by volunteering at fundraisers such as the annual golf outing and banquet. This year he couldn’t make the evening event, so he purchased a ticket anyway and donated it to someone who wanted to attend but could not afford the cost.

“I am happy to support BEST,” Albie says. “I definitely would have had a lot more trouble in school without their support. I might not have even gotten through school on time.”

Today, Albie can be found at Phillipsburg High School, where he’s responsible for all the AV and IT equipment (computers, projectors, even databases) in the building. The computer science major says he’s happy to be back near his roots, working and volunteering as a football coach at the school.

“BEST helped me understand the importance of being part of a community,” Albie says. “They gave me opportunities to volunteer and learn, and I am very appreciative.”