Sean Nisivoccia's Schools

• Montclair State University , Class of 1993 Bachelors Industrial technology

Sean Nisivoccia's Publications

• Children’s Health Fund October, 2010 by Sean Nisivoccia Of the numerous charities I support, the Children’s Health Fund is a cause I consider especially meaningful. Established in 1987 by famed musical artist Paul Simon and Irwin Redlener, a pediatrician and child advocate, the Children’s Health Fund is dedicating to ensuring that all children obtain access proper medical care, regardless of their families’ economic status. Utilizing its resources to facilitate the development of primary care medical programs across the United State, the Children’s Health Fund focuses its efforts on the United States’ disadvantaged, and often overlooked, urban and rural populations. Formed in response to the deficiencies in the public health care system, the Children’s Health Fund is a strong advocate for positive, actionable policy change, committed to raising awareness of our nation’s need for widely available pediatric medical services. Following its founding nearly 25 years ago, the Children’s Health Fund launched its first initiative, the New York Children’s Health Project (NYCHP). Operating out of a state-of-the-art mobile care facility, the NYCHP pioneered the concept of bringing exceptional treatment directly to communities in need. Since its inception, the Children’s Health Fund has expanded its organizational model, directing clinics in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Arizona, Iowa, Idaho, and Washington D.C. Affiliated with teaching hospitals and community health care facilities in 24 locations across the nation, the Children’s Health Fund has treated more than 200,000 children to date. In 1994, the Children’s Health Fund spearheaded the development of Kids First, Kids Now!, a campaign designed to raise public awareness of the Fund’s cause. Kids First, Kids Now! has accomplished a great deal, most notably influencing U.S. policy makers in their decision to pass the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, widely viewed as the most meaningful advance in pediatric health care since Medicaid was established in 1965. To join me in supporting the Children’s Health Fund, visit www.childrenshealthfund.org.

• The John Belushi/Second City Scholarship Fund November, 2010 by Sean Nisivoccia I am proud to support the John Belushi/Second City Scholarship fund, established in 1983 in the wake of actor and comedian John Belushi`s untimely death. The scholarship aids aspiring young Chicago performers get their start through covering the full tuition and school-associated fees for one year at the College of DuPage, the community college in Glen Ellyn, Illinois that John Belushi attended. Du Page is located some 20 miles west of Chicago, and runs its own radio station WDCB, as well as publishing the noted Prairie Light Review, a literary magazine founded in 1982. The John Belushi/Second City Scholarship is named after John Belushi, as well as Second City, the Chicago-based comedic theatre group that launched his career. Indeed, the scholarship was established in Belushi’s name during Second City’s 25th anniversary celebration. While attending DuPage, Belushi notably helped found the West Compass Players, an improvisatory comedy group patterned after the Second City ensemble. Open to all acting and technical theatre students from the local area, the John Belushi/Second City Scholarship is highly competitive, receiving many qualified candidates each year. As part of the application process, actors prepare a 1-2 minute monologue of contemporary theatre, either comedic or dramatic. This is used to determine the level of skill and potential they posses, and whether they meet the criterion of the scholarship. In my opinion, this focus on carefully prepared monologue presentations is commendable, mirroring the hard work that Belushi put into his own material throughout his career. For example, Belushi would study video footage of those he was scheduled to impersonate repeatedly during the week prior to his Saturday Night Live performances. It is my sincere hope that the John Belushi/Second City scholarship fund can provide a springboard for young actors, who like Belushi himself, come from humble backgrounds, in finding their voices on a national stage.

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