PAR Technology founder, wife donate $1 million to Young Scholars Liberty Partnerships program at Utica College

UTICA, N.Y. — The man who founded PAR Technology of New Hartford and his wife have donated $1 million to “enhance and grow” a Utica College program that helps “diverse and talented students with potential.”

It’s the Young Scholars Liberty Partnerships Program (YSLPP)

John Sammon, who is also chairman emeritus of PAR Technology, and his wife, Deanna Sammon, established a fund through the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties. The fund is called the John and Deanna Sammon Fund for Young Scholars Liberty Partnerships Program and it will “provide support for years to come,” per a foundation news release.

YSLPP was established in 1993 with Utica College and the Utica City School District as a way to motivate “diverse and talented students with potential” to stay in school, earn a New York State Regents diploma with advanced designation, and pursue post-secondary education.

Students participating in the program get involved in academic, social, and cultural activities that “enable them to grow both personally and professionally.”

“The Young Scholars Liberty Partnerships Program at Utica College has a longstanding tradition of excellence, having mentored more than 1,300 students in its 28-year history of partnering with the Utica City School District,” Laura Casamento, president of Utica College, said. “This very generous gift from the Sammon family will ensure that we can continue and expand this most valuable partnership, helping talented students realize their full potential. In addition, more than two-thirds of successful Young Scholars graduates live and work in the Utica area, helping to further strengthen our community.”

Students who are enrolled have a 94 percent graduation rate with more than 86 percent going on to college — “outcomes that speak to the successful model that this collaboration has built,” the foundation said. Candidates for the program are nominated by sixth-grade teachers in the school district. Each year, YSLPP serves more than 350 students for a 6-year term of 7-12 grade. The contribution from the Sammon family will enable Young Scholars LPP to “expand and strengthen” its programming and services.