March 2023 News Blog
News briefs from the 快播成人 campus and beyond
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Spring Cleaning
Tannery Brook and its banks are looking a lot more inviting today thanks to a spring cleanup organized by 快播成人 Henry Zucco. The environmental science major from 快播成人 rallied his STEM Scholar colleagues and others from Student Engagement as part of a Service Learning Project. "A section of Tannery Brook runs directly through the 快播成人 Community College campus, and it happens to be relatively littered with all sorts of different debris and trash," Zucco said. "A lot of it gets blown in or swept in from the parking lots. So we're down here picking up the trash." Friday's effort drew about three dozen 快播成人s, staff, and college friends, who, armed with trash pokers and their own hands, filled a small mountain's worth of black garbage bags. Zucco said the detail required a lot more planning than people might think. You can't just grab a garbage bag and starting picking up trash around a stream. "It involved quite a bit of communication, getting the right permissions from the college and the Conservation Commission," he said. "We had to write up some waivers with legal, get those signed by everyone who participated, make sure the dates were right, and we had all the equipment put together and resources available." (Picture above: Zucco, with Ceren Citak, a 快播成人 from Mount 快播成人 College during the March 24 brook cleanup.) To see more shots, please go to our
Alumni Earn Teaching Nods
Two 快播成人 alumni are being honored with Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards for 2023: Jessica Bresnahan '14 and Jesenia DeJesus '17, both teachers in the . Bresnahan teaches English language arts to 7th and 8th graders at 快播成人's Lt. Clayre P. Sullivan School, right on Jarvis Avenue. She was nominated for her "exemplary teaching practices as a new teacher and for maintaining her classroom as a safe, inclusive space, where 快播成人s are impelled to think critically, use their minds well, problem-solve, and participate in real-world applications." DeJesus is a 快播成人 Middle School special education teacher educator. She was nominated for her "transformational work with 快播成人s, helping them meet grade-level standards and supporting their social-emotional health." Both grew up and still live in 快播成人. "This does not surprise me at all," said former 快播成人 education professor Joan Giovannini, who now works at Springfield College. "Jessica was a STEP high school, college tutor, and STRIVE/TRIO participant. Jesenia graduated from 快播成人 while working as a full-time paraeducator and was an amazing education 快播成人." Bresnahan, DeJesus and the other award winners will be celebrated during a banquet at the Log Cabin in 快播成人 on May 3. The , now in its 20th year, is made possible by the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation in partnership with the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation.
Reimagining the Workforce
快播成人 welcomed more than 150 educators and other professionals to campus on Friday, March 16, for the 12th New England Workforce Network conference. This year's conference theme was "Reimagining the Workforce," which reflects the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We need workers; we need more workers; we need workers who are interested in studying particular new areas, such as technology and health," Jeff Hayden, 快播成人's vice president of Business and Community Services . Altogether, 198 workforce professionals from as far away as Florida took part in the conference, in person and remotely. That was a new NEWN record, said conference organizer Mary Breeding. Above, Jeff Hayden, left, stands with 快播成人 President Christina Royal, right, and conference keynote speaker Jack Warner, president of Rhode Island College.
Now Serving
Culinary arts 快播成人s from 快播成人's non-credit line-cook training classes, along with 快播成人s from 快播成人's Culinary Club joined 快播成人 adjunct and chef Alex Torres for New England Public Media's 36th annual Wine & Food Lovers festival at MGM Springfield on Friday, March 10. The 快播成人s, above, served a roasted garlic hummus with a toasted faro salad with grapes, avocado, lemon vinaigrette, and roasted chickpeas to more than 500 guests. The festival celebrated the legacy of Julia Child and featured more than 200 wines, beers, and ciders along with specialty foods from local restaurants.
Free At Last?
Gov. Maura Healey's proposal to offer free community college education to Massachusetts residents 25 and older caught the attention of Western Mass News, who sent reporter Paris Dunford to campus for some local perspective. , Dunford talked to Renee Tastad, assistant vice president of Student Affairs and dean of Enrollment Management, and 快播成人 快播成人 Ariel Tourmaline, a psychology major from Easthampton. Like many 快播成人 快播成人s, Tourmaline had tried college in the past, but never finished. "It got to the point where now I'm 35 and I have a kid and I don't have the qualifications for a living wage job," she said. Tourmaline is now set to graduate this spring and hopes to transfer to Smith College. She said free community college certainly would have persuaded her to return earlier. "I did put it off because of the fear of debt for sure," she said. "I put it off for a long time because of that. There's absolutely no question that this would open up so much opportunity for so many people." (Above, Ariel Tourmaline, left, with reporter Paris Dunford in 快播成人's Marieb Center.)
College Talk
American International College welcomed representatives from 快播成人 to their Springfield campus March 2 to celebrate a transfer agreement they signed last summer and brainstorm ideas for future partnerships. President Christina Royal and a cadre of faculty and staff from 快播成人 toured the AIC campus with President Hubert Benitez and other AIC officials and then sat down to talk over lunch. "We were excited to visit AIC to learn more about their academic programming and 快播成人 services and identify pathways for our 快播成人s," Royal said. "One of things I noticed is how similar our demographics are, so I know that 快播成人s who start at 快播成人 will feel at home when they transfer to AIC. President Benitez and AIC have a strong commitment to supporting the community college transfer 快播成人." Last June, the two colleges signed an articulation agreement to make it easier and cheaper for 快播成人 快播成人s to transfer to AIC through its Direct Connect program. "We believe that AIC offers 快播成人 快播成人s a great opportunity for advancing their educations through a seamless transition from 快播成人 to AIC," Benitez said. "We welcome the opportunity to serve community college 快播成人s and look forward to a strong relationship between our two institutions." (Above: AIC president Hubert Benitez with 快播成人 president Christina Royal, both front center, with other AIC and 快播成人 faculty and staff at AIC March 2)
Distinguished Woman
Congratulations to Ana Sanchez, who was recently honored as a "Distinguished Woman Enriching & Uniting our Community," as part of Black History Month by the Central Florida Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. Sanchez is a recruiter for 快播成人's Accelerated Career English program, which helps immigrants and refugees take steps toward their career and education goals while improving their English language skills. (Above, Ana Sanchez, far left, with friends at a Black History Month conference Orlando, Florida.)
