Friday, July 6, 2007

 

27 GRADUATE FROM MWCC’S PRACTICAL NURSING PROGRAM

By Kimberly B. Caisse

The academic success of 27 graduates of MWCC’s Practical Nurse program at Devens was recognized during a traditional pinning ceremony at the Gardner campus Friday, June 29.

“We are proud to be part of this class, but I believe that what should make us most proud is not the actual honor itself, but what we had to do to obtain it,” said graduate Francis Rurua of Worcester.

“We came to Mount Wachusett Community College to learn, to grow and to share. This journey was challenging and we could not have made it by ourselves,” he said, thanking spouses and families, instructors, clinical instructors, former PN Program Director Judy Giacoppe and his fellow students.

“As you work towards your future goals, always remember that every small accomplishment takes you one step closer to achieving your dreams,” Rurua said.

During the ceremony, each graduate, dressed in a traditional nurse uniform, was welcomed into the profession by having a nursing pin fastened to her/his lapel by a fellow nurse—a family member, friend or faculty member. The eight-star pin is imprinted with the words “Service to Humanity and the World” with the nursing symbol in the middle.

The nursing pin symbolizes the medal of excellence Florence Nightingale presented to the women who nursed the wounded of the Crimean War. Nightingale also led a candle-lighting ceremony, with a lamp representing “the care and devotion the nurse administers to the sick and injured regardless of time of day, level of fatigue or need of respite.”

MWCC’s 2007 Practical Nursing graduates are:

Ashburnham: Donna Dion; Lisa Jahn
Belmont: Irene Katongole
Clinton: Andrea Sargent
Fitchburg: Carrie Babineau; Mao Hanglee; Candice Leigher; Guiriana Meunier; Mee Yang
Gardner: Roland Nubuor; Donna Stanley
Leominster: Jessica Alejandro; Belinda Bedele; Rachel Maillet; Alicia Roman
Nashua, N.H.: Sammy Barfield
Rindge, N.H.: Janet Andrews
Shirley : Iris Canessa
Towsend: Gloria Murphy
West Boylston: Anne Franceschi
Worcester: Eunice Bakele; Ann Maore; Catherine Migwi; Josphat Mwangi; Evelyn Nabiswa; Patrick Nkariuki; Francis Rurua

For more information about MWCC’s Practical Nursing program, contact the Admissions Office at admissions@mwcc.mass.edu or (978) 630-9110.

IFMA’S BOSTON CHAPTER HONORS MWCC WITH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

The International Facility Management Association’s Boston chapter has honored MWCC with a 2007 Award of Excellence. The college received the award at a recent gala dinner at the State Room in Boston.

MWCC received a Facilities Management Achievement Best Practices - Sustainability Award for the 2002 conversion of its all-electric campus in Gardner to a closed-loop, biomass-fueled, hydronic heating system. The project has achieved a 38 percent reduction in electricity, a 52 percent reduction in water usage and a 22.5 percent reduction in carbon dioxide.

“Switching to renewable energy has made a substantial difference in our energy costs, and our students have been the beneficiaries,” said MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino. “We must now build on this to reach carbon neutrality.”

Eight other businesses were also recognized at the ceremony.

IFMA is the largest and most widely recognized professional association for facility management, supporting more than 18,000 members. The association’s members are represented in 124 chapters, 15 councils and one Special Interest Group (SIG), in 60 countries worldwide. Globally, IFMA certifies facility managers, conducts research, provides educational programs, recognizes facility management degree and certificate programs, and produces World Workplace, the largest facility management-related conference and exposition. For more information, visit www.ifma.org.

More MWCC News:

• Library Assistants Betsy Dick (left) and Isuara Luna stand in front of the door to the library's Mezzanine and lower levels, which are being renovated.

  The Leo & Theresa LaChance Library will be open regular hours over the summer, but there will be no public access to the Mezzanine and lower levels through Friday, Aug. 31 due to the library renovation. Access to the book collection will be extremely limited, so patrons should call ahead if they need something in particular. Staff may be able to access parts of the collection at various times, but they cannot guarantee that they will be able to retrieve specific titles at specific times. The main level will provide public access computers and printing. The rooms on the lower level will not be available during this time. The renovation project is funded through the college's capital campaign, which raised nearly $4 million. If you have any questions, please call Assistant Dean of Library and Information Services Linda Oldach at (978) 630-9126.
• Registrations are now being accepted for MWCC Foundation, Inc.’s 12th Annual Golf Tournament to benefit student scholarships. The tournament will take place Monday, July 16 at Sterling National Country Club, 33 Albright Road, Sterling. The cost is $175 per person to play and $40 for dinner guests. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are still available. Two raffle drawings and an auction will be held. Registration will start at 8:30 a.m. with a breakfast buffet starting at 9. The shotgun start will be at 10 a.m. The tournament will conclude with a social hour from 3 to 4 p.m. and dinner and awards at 4. Players must wear soft spiked golf shoes. Proper attire is required: All golfers must wear a collared shirt. For more information about registering or becoming a sponsor, contact Darlene Cloutier at (978) 630-9387 or dcloutier@mwcc.mass.edu.
• MWCC, in association with the Broadcasting and Telecommunications program and Phi Theta Kappa, is pleased to once again offer 2007 Commencement DVDs. This professional quality, edited DVD of MWCC’s 2007 graduation day ceremony will be available for a limited time at a cost of $15 each. This low cost includes the cost of shipping and handling. Fifty percent of the profits from the DVD sales will go to MWCC’s Phi Delta Chapter of the PTK Honor Society. PTK students will donate the other 50 percent of the profits directly to the Cleghorn Neighborhood Center. To place an order in advance, contact Sheila Murphy, PTK advisor, at smurphy@mwcc.mass.edu.
• MWCC’s Student Life Office will hold the third annual Leadership Camp for incoming students on Thursday, Aug. 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday, Aug. 17 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Leadership Camp is limited to the first 30 students who return their registration form along with the $10 registration fee. The deadline for registration is Monday, July 30. The goal of this two-day camp is to offer new students an opportunity to get the most out of their college experience, develop leadership skills and learn the benefits of being involved in their college community. Research shows that the more students are actively engaged in college co-curricular activities the more likely they are to reach their academic goals. To learn more, contact Assistant Dean of Student Life Greg Clement at (978) 630-9547 or gclement@mwcc.mass.edu.
• The Clinical Laboratory Science program offers an associate’s degree curriculum and integrates general education courses with science and hospital rotations. Students enrolled in this program will learn how to use sophisticated biomedical instrumentation and computers to analyze blood and other body specimens. The generation of accurate results of laboratory tests allows physicians to detect, diagnose and treat disease. An information session will take place Wednesdays August 22, Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12 at 3 p.m. in the Volney Howe Conference Room or the OBS Conference Room at Heywood Hospital. The sessions will include a tour of the clinical laboratory. Prospective students interested in attending the information session are asked to call the admissions office at (978) 630-9110 (TTY (978) 632-4916), or send an email to admissions@mwcc.mass.edu.