Friday, July 25, 2008

 

STUDENT SUCCESS CELEBRATED DURING 23rd ANNUAL GED GRADUATION

By Janice O'Connor

Pamela Gage and Jane Serrano were this year's student speakers at the GED graduation ceremony.

More than 300 proud spouses, parents, grandparents, children and friends enthusiastically cheered while 75 area residents were recognized during the 23rd annual GED graduation at Mount Wachusett Community College on Saturday, July 19.

Angela Lunn-Marcustre, General Educational Development Test chief examiner, presided over the ceremony and Jeremiah Riordon, assistant vice president of workforce development, welcomed the graduates. A total of 500 students earned their GEDs through MWCC’s Adult Basic Education Program between June 1, 2007 and July 1, 2008. In the past 23 years, MWCC has helped 6,600 students receive their GEDs.  

“It is so important to take today and celebrate what you have worked so hard to earn, but it is equally important to remember that this day is only the close of one chapter in your life,” Riordon told the graduates. “Now that you hold all these options for future success in your hands, it is time to ask yourself, what will be your next challenge and ultimate success? Will it be college? Technical school? A better job? You are now only limited by your own imagination and desire.”

Jane Serrano of Gardner and Pamela Gage of Winchendon delivered the student addresses to their fellow graduates. Gage and Anne Nkwocha of Fitchburg each received the President’s Award for Excellence. The award, founded by MWCC president Daniel M. Asquino, provides a voucher for two MWCC academic courses as well as the textbooks needed to take the classes.

Missi Sargent, director of noncredit programs at MWCC, delivered the keynote address.

“Some of you are just out of school while others have not been to school in years. You have come from diverse backgrounds and cultures, religions and incomes," she said. "Some of you have worked your entire life, some are dealing with the struggle of having to retrain due to changes in your field and some are just beginning work for the first time. But what you all have in common is you have all taken the initiative to meet this challenge. I commend you for not giving up and seeing this journey all the way through.”

Gage and Anne Nkwocha of Fitchburg each received the President’s Award for Excellence. The award, founded by MWCC president Daniel M. Asquino provides a voucher good for two MWCC courses as well as the textbooks needed to take the classes.

Jane Serrano of Gardner and Pamela Gage of Winchendon delivered the student addresses to the graduates. Serrano likened the hard-won achievement to a baseball game. At first, she felt like she was a batter who kept striking out at the pitches that came her way. Opportunities to move up to better jobs were out of her reach due to not having her GED. Finally, after overcoming many obstacles and enduring tremendous hardships in her life, she was able to obtain the goal. "I finally hit one with everything I had and I hit a homerun. Here I am, I did it," she said to the cheering crowd.

"I found it is never too late to learn," Gage said. "With the support from our teachers, families and friends, and all of you here today, we were able to succeed."

WINCHENDON SKILLS PROGRAM RECEIVES GRANT TO BEGIN 15th YEAR

The Winchendon Skills Program, a privately funded adult basic education program administered by Mount Wachusett Community College, will begin its 15th year this fall thanks to a $35,848 grant awarded to the MWCC Foundation, Inc. by the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation.

“We are grateful to the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation for supporting this important program for the 15th consecutive year,” said MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino. “There is a great need in our communities for adult basic education programs and the opportunity they present to help students achieve their goals. Many of the participants decide to continue their academic studies at Mount Wachusett Community College.”

The Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation, Inc. is based in Stamford, New York. R. Avery Robinson and Anna June Broadhurst spent part of their childhood in Winchendon. Upon their deaths they requested that a foundation be set up to benefit the communities of Winchendon as well as Stamford and Worcester, NY, where they later lived. The foundation issues grant awards using funds inherited from their uncles’ ground-floor investment in IBM stock.

The Winchendon Skills Program provides placement testing, educational counseling and direct one-on-one instruction through pre-GED and GED preparation to the residents of Winchendon. The program has assisted over 234 Winchendon residents prepare for and earn their GED. The program’s convenient location, flexible walk-in format, one-on-one personal instruction, and close referral relationship the Winchendon Community Action Committee have contributed substantially to the programs’ success. 

Site coordinator and instructor for the past 14 years, Janet Brown said that although many students initially enter the program just to obtain their high school equivalency, many students decide to continue on to pursue a college education.

Mount Wachusett Community College receives grants from the Massachusetts Department of Education to run four other adult basic education programs, as well as English as a Second Language programs, in Gardner, Leominster, Fitchburg and Devens. The programs are free and are open to area residents age 16 and above.

SUMMER FUN FOR HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN IN MWCC PROGRAMS

Gardner Mayor Mark Hawke with fellow Gardner residents Alyssa Rameau, Sara Fein, Taylor Rameau, and summer camp counselor Justin Watson.

If the students on campus seem to be getting younger and younger these days, it's because they are! Every summer, hundreds of children and teenagers keep active by participating in academic and enrichment programs sponsored by MWCC's Division of Access and Transition, the Division of Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development, Theatre at the Mount and the Fitness and Wellness Center.

On campus, clusters of students can be found learning the finer points of acting, honing their athletic skills at various sports clinics, creating works of art or enjoying other areas of interest in the Division of Lifelong Learning's Kids Summer Activity Program 2008.

Off campus, the Access and Transition's Summer UP program continues to grow. This year, 135 high school and middle school students are employed as camp counselors at nine sites in four communities. More than 450 children are involved overall. Now in its fourth year, Summer UP provides safe recreation spaces and meals for the counselors, as well as the neighborhood children of all ages who attend the free activities at sites located in Gardner, Winchendon, Leominster and Fitchburg. The program, designed to decrease unsafe behaviors, includes special field trips for the counselors as well as meaningful community service projects.

Carolyn Marcelino, a sophomore at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School, enjoys working as a Summer UP counselor.

Last week, the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts awarded the Summer UP program a $20,000 grant in its continued support of the program. MWCC and Fitchburg State College also sponsor the program.

"We are absolutely delighted with the support our summer enrichment programs receive from our community partners," said MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino. "These programs help students develop skills and talents, build up neighborhoods and create a stronger sense of community."

In August, an additional 40 students will be on campus for Summer Cyber Camp to learn new computer skills using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and web design software. Dozens of other students are participating in programs designed to boost their math and English skills and prepare them for the transition between high school and college, while 21 honor students from area high schools are taking a psychology course with Assistant Professor Julie Capozzi in this year's Presidential Academy, a program run in collaboration with the offices of Admissions and Academic Affairs.

In another on-campus program this week, coordinated by the divisions of Lifelong Learning and Access and Transition, 20 children and grandchildren of MWCC faculty and staff received a lesson in civics from Gardner Mayor Mark Hawke. The mayor fielded a flurry of questions from curious students ranging from how tax dollars are spent to the potential use of vacant properties in the city. After hearing about the many tasks involved in the fast-paced position, one student couldn't help but ask the mayor: "How tired are you when you get home?"

NORTH CENTRAL CAREER CENTER ASSISTS DISLOCATED WORKERS

Gardner Mayor Mark Hawke and MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino encouraged dislocated workers who attended an accelerated job training program at the Gardner campus offered by the North Central Career Center.

On July 17, Gardner Mayor Mark Hawke and MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino presented certificates to a group of area residents who attended an accelerated job skills program at the Gardner campus presented by the Dislocated Workers Services of the North Central Career Center.

The participants, faced with unemployment due to the faltering economy's effect on area businesses, spent three days focusing on job search techniques, resume writing, interviewing techniques and other strategies.

The Career Center is a collaboration of many partners and agencies under the state Division of Workforce Development. MWCC adminsters a grant that provides services to dislocated workers.

"It really is an honor for the college to support you as you transtion to another phase in your life," President Asquino said during a presentation at the end of the program. He emphasized the important role the workers have had in the community and continue to have, and expressed the college's commitment in assisting the area residents with discovering new opportunities.

The accelerated program was recommended by Mayor Hawke, who wanted the Gardner area residents to access services at the Gardner campus that are typically offered in Leominster. He thanked the college for its responsiveness in tailoring the program to meet the needs of local residents.

'HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL' COMES TO THEATRE AT THE MOUNT

By Gail M. Steele

It burst onto the cultural landscape first as a smash hit Disney Channel Original Movie and the soundtrack climbed to the top of the Billboard charts. Now, get ready to see this popular movie brought to life on stage at Theatre at the Mount. Disney’s High School Musical opens August 8 for 7 performances – 2 shows are already sold out, so don’t miss the chance to see this blockbuster hit.

Disney’s High School Musical is a contemporary musical comedy about Troy Bolton (played by Sam Simahk), a popular high school basketball star and Gabriella Montez (played by Rachel Phaneuf) a shy, academically gifted newcomer who discovers they share a secret passion for singing. When they sign up together to audition for the lead roles in the school musical, it threatens East High’s rigid social order and sends their peers into an uproar. In a desperate effort to maintain the status quo, the “jocks,” the “brainiacs” and even the drama club regulars are soon hatching convoluted plots to separate the pair and keep them offstage. By defying expectations and taking a chance on their dreams, however, the couple inspires other students to go public with some surprising hidden talents of their own.

Theatre at the Mount’s production, which features a cast of 45 performers, includes all of the favorite characters and songs from the movie, plus two new songs written especially for the stage. So “getcha head in the game!” and get your tickets now for Disney’s High School Musical. Performances are August 7, 8, 14, 15, 16 at 8 p.m. The Aug. 10 and 17 matinees are already sold out. For tickets, call the Theatre at the Mount box office at 978 632-2403 or go online at http://theatre.mwcc.edu

 

 More MWCC News:

• MWCC's Division of Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development is sponsoring a series of free workshops during the annual Experience Gardner Sidewalk Sale Aug. 1 and 2. The workshops have been coordinated with downtown businesses in conjunction with the Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce and Square Two. Workshops will be offered throughout the day on a variety of topics, including stress management, computers, creating a business plan and career services. The sessions will take place at BDO Seidman, Greater Gardner CDC, Heywood Memorial Library, GFA Federal Credit Union and the North Central Career Center. For more information, visit the MWCC booth at the event, or contact Missi Sargent at (978) 630-9273.

• MWCC's Enrollment Center will host three open houses in August at its Devens, Leominster and Gardner campuses to provide tours and information about academic programs, career options, financial aid tutoring services and other support services. The first event will take place Wednesday, Aug. 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the new 40,000-square-foot Devens campus, locted at One Jackson Place, 27 Jackson Road. The second open house will take place Tuesday, Aug. 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the newly expanded Leominster campus, at 100 Erdman Way. The third open house will take place Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the main campus in Gardner. Admissions, financial aid and career counselors will be available at each session to meet with prospective students and answer questions. For more information, contact the Enrollment Center at (978) 630-9284.

• Registrations are now being accepted for MWCC Foundation, Inc.’s 13th Annual Golf Tournament to benefit student scholarships. The tournament will take place Monday, August 18 at Gardner Municipal Golf course, with the 19th hole at the Colonial Hotel in Gardner. Sir Jeremy Bell (aka Man in a Skirt), dressed in full highland kilt with bagpipes blaring, will emcee the post-game awards ceremony with hilarious roasts and toasts. The cost is $150 per person to play and attend the post-game dinner and awards ceremony at the Colonial, or $40 for the dinner and ceremony only. Registration begins at 8:30 AM with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. The tournament will conclude with a social hour at 3 p.m., followed by dinner, an auction and the awards ceremony with Sir Jeremy Bell, who has entertained celebrities from Clint Eastwood to Julia Roberts. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are still available. Visit www.mwcc.edu/alumni and click on golf tournament for details. For more information, contact Carol Cullins at (978) 630-9594.

• The Entrepreneurial Resource Center at MWCC is accepting applications for the fourth annual Business Plan Competition. The competition, open to residents in MWCC's 29-town service area, gives innovators an opportunity to submit business plans and vie for up to $12,000 in cash prizes and more than $8,000 of in-kind services. One finalist will be chosen in each of the following three categories: start up profit, expanding profit business and start-up and expanding nonprofits. A grand prize winner will be selected from among the three finalists. Competition workshops will take place July 25 in partnership with Wachusett Chamber of Commerce at Clinton Hospital, and on Aug. 1 at Experience Gardner. Competition guidelines and applications are available at http://erc.mwcc.edu For more information, contact Lisa Derby Oden at (978) 840-3221 ext. 163.

• MWCC, in association with the Broadcasting and Electronic Media program and Phi Theta Kappa, is pleased to once again offer Commencement DVDs. This professional quality, edited DVD of MWCC’s 2008 graduation 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 Greater Gardner Community Health Center's food pantry. To place an order in advance, contact Sheila Murphy, PTK advisor, at smurphy@mwcc.mass.edu.

• The enrollment center is offering Information Sessions on a number of academic programs. Upcoming sessions will take place on the following dates: Clinical Laboratory Science: Aug. 20 from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Heywood Hospital; Biotechnology/Biomanufacturing: Aug. 20 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Gardner campus, room 341, and Aug. 20 from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Leominster campus. In addition, general information sessions and tours take place on Mondays (except holidays) at 3 p.m. at the Enrollment Center. Prospective students interested in attending an information session are asked to call the Enrollment Center at (978) 630-9110 (TTY (978) 632-4916), or send an email to admissions@mwcc.mass.edu