Friday, October 19, 2007

 

MWCC FOUNDATION HONORS CITIZEN OF THE YEAR RICHARD W. NOBILE

More than 300 community and business leaders, students, faculty and staff attended MWCC Foundation's Annual Dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at the Colonial Hotel. Richard W. Nobile, seated, was honored as the Harold E. Drake, Jr. Citizen of the Year. With him, from left, are Rep. Robert Rice, Senator Stephen Brewer, President Daniel M. Asquino, Board of Trustees Chairman Jay Davis Drake, and Darlene Morrilly, executive director of the foundation.

By Janice O'Connor

Richard W. Nobile, long-serving volunteer in North Central Massachusetts and executive vice president of the IC Federal Credit Union, was presented with the 2007 Harold E. Drake, Jr. Citizen of the Year award during the MWCC Foundation's annual dinner. The Oct. 17 celebration at the Colonial Hotel in Gardner attracted more than 300 people, including numerous community and business leaders throughout the region. MWCC student scholarship recipients also were honored during the event.

MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino praised Nobile for his tireless efforts as a co-founder of the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts in 2000. The nonprofit organization quickly grew to become an integral part of the community and provides funding for numerous programs that benefit area residents and organizations, including several civic engagement initiatives of the college. Nobile also has volunteered for many years with the United Way of North Central Massachusetts and currently serves on its board of directors and as a member of its executive committe.

"I believe that this region possesses some of the most creative community leaders in the nation," Asquino said. "Our honoree tonight is one of these leaders."

Jay Davis Drake, chairman of MWCC's Board of Trustees, said it is always a tremendous honor to present the Citizen of the Year award in memory of his father, a businessman well-known for his altruism. "The thing that made my Dad really tick, besides his family and the business, was the community," Drake said. "He enjoyed everyone he ever met and he enjoyed everything he ever did in the community. And Dick's the same way."

State Sen. Stephen Brewer and Rep. Robert Rice presented Nobile with citations commending his commitment to serving others.

In accepting the award, Nobile thanked the people of North Central Massachusetts for making it a special place of concern and support for others. "The first thing you notice about the people of North Central Massachusetts is that they're dreamers. They dream about a place that's better, where everybody helps each other and besides dreaming about it, they do it." He said the civic-minded residents of the area inspire others with their energy and enthusiasm. "The legacy of Harold Drake is so pronounced, and it's alive in all of you. It's a pleasure to receive this award because I'm in the midst of Harold Drake's legacy."

Foundation board member Chuck Bowles announced the creation of the David Jacques Memorial Book Fund, in memory of David Jacques, who served on the foundation's board of directors for two decades, including many years as treasurer, and was committed to providing access to affordable education. To date, $20,000 has been raised to provide financial assistance to students to purchase textbooks. Recipients are asked to honor Jacques by "paying it forward" with some small act of kindness to help another person in the future. Marie Jacques expressed the family's deep appreciation, noting that her husband's connection to the college began long before he joined the foundation. At one time, he was a student at the college.

Darlene Morrilly, executive director of the foundation, announced that scholarships totaling $140,000 were awarded this year to 137 students. The foundation also awarded an additional $100,000 to launch the college's Community Scholars program this fall. The 12 students selected for the program will receive a full, two-year scholarship, textbooks and leadership training while they work in paid-internships at nonprofit organizations throughout the region.

MWCC alumna Michele Geary, who earned a degree in Early Childhood Education and is now pursuing a bachelor's degree at Fitchburg State College, thanked the college, her professors, President Asquino and trustee and foundation member James Garrison, who established an Early Childhood Education scholarship, for giving her the opportunity and support to succeed. "Mount Wachusett has not only given me a beginning to my education, but the self-worth, confidence and motivation to reach my dreams," she said.

STUDENT LEADER RECOGNIZED AT STATEWIDE CONFERENCE

By Janice O'Connor

Student Government Association members Jake Harrelson, Isaura Luna, President Katie Forgues and Bryan Klink attended the annual CCSLA conference on Cape Cod. Luna was presented with the Dean Sullivan Award.

Isaura Luna’s passion for helping others is well known at Mount Wachusett Community College. Now, her dedication has been recognized by the Massachusetts Community College system. Luna, a second-year Business Administration major, was selected as this year’s recipient of the Dean Sullivan Award during the Community College Students Leadership Association’s Fall Leadership Conference held Oct. 11-12 on Cape Cod.

Luna serves MWCC as the student representative on the college’s Board of Trustees and is a member of the Student Government Association. She is a co-founder of the ALANA Club (African, Latino, Asian, & Native American students) and is a member of the college’s program committee, Campus Activities Team for Students.

The Dean Sullivan Award is given annually to a student leader within the Massachusetts Community Colleges who exemplifies the enthusiasm and dedication that Dean Richard Sullivan demonstrated at Cape Cod Community College. The award is given to a second year student in recognition of their commitment and achievement as a volunteer leader. Luna’s name was inscribed on a perpetual plaque, which will be housed at MWCC for the upcoming year. She also received a $100 gift certificate and an award plaque.

“I was so proud to learn that Isaura was chosen for this award,” MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino said. “Her dedication to the college and her commitment to helping fellow students and others in the community are commendable. She truly possesses the characteristics of a leader.”

Luna, a Gardner resident who grew up in New York City and spent part of her childhood in the Dominican Republic, did not intend to attend college, until a friend persuaded her to apply to MWCC. She started out taking classes on a part-time basis, and is now a full-time student. She will graduate with an associate’s degree in Business Administration in May.

“The skills I’ve gained as a student leader have benefitted me personally and academically,” Luna said. “I have learned about the importance of strong leadership skills and the traits that business leaders possess. I’m happy to have the opportunity to practice these skills as a student leader and benefit the community at the same time. Everything that I volunteer for, I do so from the heart. To be recognized for this effort is both rewarding and inspiring,” she said.

“Isaura Luna has made MWCC a better place for all students,” Assistant Dean of Student Services Greg Clement wrote in the nomination letter.  “Her work in student groups and volunteerism has changed lives. She truly is a mentor to so many students. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard students say she is the heart of the college.”

Student Government Association President Katie Forgues was selected to be this year’s student speaker at the conference. Others attending the conference were SGA members Jake Harrelson and Bryan Klink, Vice President of Student Services and Enrollment Management Ann McDonald, Assistant Dean of Student Services Greg Clement, and Student Activities Program Assistant Sandra Arsenault.

INPD AWARDS $16,000 IN MINI-GRANTS TO AREA NONPROFITS

MWCC's Institute for Nonprofit Development has awarded $16,000 in mini-grants to six area nonprofits. Representatives from the selected organizations include, from left, Dolores Thibault-Munoz, executive director of the Cleghorn Neighborhood Center, Thomas Hall, Director of Operations for the LUK Crisis Center, Inc., Betsy Hannula, Curator of the Westminster Historical Society, and Stephen A. Perla, Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Worcester.

By Janice O'Connor

MWCC's Institute for Nonprofit Development has awarded $16,000 in mini-grants to six nonprofit organizations. With funding from the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts, the mini-grants are awarded to help strengthen the internal operations of nonprofits to fulfill their missions and benefit the communities they serve. To date, a total of $63,390 has been awarded to 23 organizations.

"The mini-grants are designed to help nonprofits achieve their long-term goals,” explained INPD Coordinator Jennifer Wiley-Cordone. Eighteen applications were received, totaling $55,000 in requests.

The Cleghorn Neighborhood Center was awarded $3,000 for strategic planning. The center received funding three years ago to develop its first strategic plan. The center has now enacted that plan and has been awarded a new grant for consulting fees and strategic planning for the next three years.

The New England Learning Center for Women in Transition (NELCWIT), working in the nine towns of the North Quabbin, was awarded $3,000 for strategic planning. The organization, offering support for women and children coping with domestic violence and for survivors of sexual assault, will use this funding to develop a plan for coordinating services with multiple service providers - continuing a tradition of collaboration.

The LUK Crisis Center, Inc., was awarded $1,000 for a consultant to assist in mentoring two new board members who will be selected from consumers of the center’s services. LUK will contract with a consultant to assist in outreach to consumers and develop a welcoming and formalized mentoring program to integrate consumers into the existing board of directors.

The Montachusett Opportunity Council was awarded $3,000 to be used toward its website redesign. As part of the redesign, MOC plans to provide a referral section of the website, which will allow other area agencies to utilize MOC's resources to promote their services to consumers in the region.

The Westminster Historical Society was awarded $3,000 for fundraising training for volunteers in preparation for a capital campaign. The historical society is gearing up for a major campaign to acquire the Upton School in the center of Westminster as its new headquarters.

The St. Paul Catholic Schools Consortium was awarded $3,000 to develop a marketing plan for greater community outreach. The consortium serves six Catholic elementary schools in Leominster, Fitchburg and Gardner. The marketing plan will enable to consortium to reach out to underserved populations. Stephen A. Perla, superintendent of schools for the Worcester Diocese, said that many of the schools served by the consortium do not have the resources to conduct their own marketing campaigns, but will benefit by pooling their resources.

"We're very pleased to have been awarded seed money to do this project," he said.

More MWCC News:

• Students and faculty in the Medical Assisting Program celebrated national Medical Assistants Week this week. Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs Peter Trainor addressed the students during a recognition party on Oct. 16 and congratulated Director Brenda Tatro on the program's success. Recent graduates achieved a 100-percent pass rate of their licensing exam. Students, including Debra Hebert, left, and Tricia Rathbun, right, were soon back to their studies during a lab led by clinical instructor Steve Simons, core lab supervisor with HealthAlliance Hospital.

  Admissions representatives from more than 60 four-year private and public colleges and universities are scheduled to attend the annual Transfer Fair on Monday, Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the South Cafeteria. Students are encouraged to attend the fair to learn more about transferring their associate's degree credits toward a bachelor's degree. For an up-to-date list of institutions attending the Transfer Fair, go to www.mwcc.edu/services/transfer/fair.html
• The Fall Film Series 2007: Documenting Society continues on Wednesday, Oct. 24 with the Academy Award winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth. The film runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the North Cafeteria. An Inconvenient Truth offers a passionate and inspirational look at one man's fervent crusade to halt global warming's deadly progress in its tracks by exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it. That man is former Vice President and 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore - who is seen as never before in the media - funny, engaging, open and on fire about getting out the stirring truth about what he calls our "planetary emergency" before it's too late.
• MWCC’s Campus Activities Team for Students (CATS) and Student Life office will sponsor the annual Scary Karaoke Night Thursday, Oct. 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Gardner campus. Faculty, staff and alumni are challenged to come in costume and ready to sing. There will be snacks, door prizes, cash prizes for costumes and more.
• What do storybook characters, murder, comedy, imagination and a mystery have in common? Find out on Friday Oct. 26 at an audience interactive dinner theater production of "Murder in the Land of Lost Pages, a Fairy Tear-able Tale." Sponsored by the MWCC Alumni Association, the event will begin with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m., followed by a full dinner and the show at 7 p.m. at the Best Western Royal Hotel Plaza, 150 Royal Plaza Drive, Fitchburg. the show will be performed by the Massachusetts-based Comical Mystery tour, which has been in production since 1995. Admission is $40 per person or $75 for two people. Reservations are required by Oct. 22. Proceeds will benefit the Alumni Association scholarship. For tickets or more information, contact Carol Cullins, director of alumni affairs, at (978) 630-9594 or ccullins@mwcc.mass.edu
• The photo exhibit Nothing to Hide can be viewed through Oct. 26 at the Leo & Theresa LaChance Library. The exhibit, sponsored by the Office of Student Life, provides people coping with mental illness and their families a chance to come out of the shadows and into the public eye. The compelling stories of children, siblings, parents, grandparents and extended family members demonstrate strength, courage, integrity and accomplishment in the face of adversity and stigma. The exhibit can be viewed Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Pat Gozemba, co-author of the book Courting Equality, visted the campus on Oct. 15 to discuss the volatile debate and history-making moments leading up to the 2003 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision that granted equal marriage benefits to same-sex couples. Gozemba, who co-wrote the book with her partner, Karen Kahn, donated three copies to the college. Copies are available in the library, the Student Life office, and with the PRIDE Organization.

  It is football season at Theatre at the Mount and the big game comes to the stage in the hilarious children’s musical, Miss Nelson Has a Field Day. Bring your pom-poms and cheer for this delightful sequel to last season’s Miss Nelson is Missing! Miss Nelson and Viola Swamp are at it again in this musical romp of schoolhouse humor based on the book by Harry Allard. Miss Nelson Has a Field Day will be performed on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. and all tickets are $4. Advance purchase is recommended by calling the box office at 978 632-2403 or purchasing online at http://theatre.mwcc.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: Nov. 14 at 3 p.m. in OBS Conference Room at Heywood Hospital; Biotechnology/Biomanufacturing: Nov. 13 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Gardner campus, room 241, and at the Leominster campus on Nov. 15 from 1 to 2 p.m.; A.S. Nursing: Nov. 13 from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Gardner campus, room 125; Practical Nursing Certificate program: Nov. 15 from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Gardner campus, room 125; Complementary Health Care: Nov. 19 from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Gardner campus, room 258. 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
• Register now for the second annual Bob Wilson Memorial Scholarship 5k Run/Walk at Fitchburg State College’s Elliot Field Track. Organized by his wife, Tina Wilson, Associate Professor of Computer Information Systems at MWCC, the 5K will take place Sunday, Oct. 28. The Walk will begin at 12:15 p.m.; the Run at 1 p.m. Race Day Registration will start at 10:30 a.m. Proceeds benefit scholarships, through Fitchburg State College and Fitchburg Access Television, to communications and broadcasting students attending MWCC and Fitchburg State. Last year, 180 people registered to walk or run and raised $4,800 for scholarships. Registration forms are available at www.bobwilsonfund.com. For more information, contact Tina Wilson at t_wilson@verizon.net or (978) 630-9225.
• The Democracy Café - Gardner Mayoral Debate will take place Monday, Oct. 29 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Commons Area. Hosted by the Center for Democracy and Humanity and The Gardner News, the event will provide an opportunity to hear incumbent Mayor Gerald St. Hilaire and candidate Mark Hawke square off in what is sure to be an informative and spirited conversation. Light refreshments will be served.
• Charles P. Pierce, journalist and author of "Hard to Forget: An Alzheimer's Story," will be the guest speaker on Monday, Oct. 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center Theatre. Sponsored by the MWCC School of Health Sciences, the event is free and open to the public in anticipation of National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month in November. In his book, Pierce intertwines two dramatic stories - the scientific race to discover the causes of Alzheimer's and his family's moving experiences as they struggle with the disease after his father is diagnosed with it. A Worcester Native, Pierce writes for the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. His work also has appeared in Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, The LA Times Magazine, The Nation, The Atlantic and The Chicago Tribune, among others. A former sports columnist for The Boston Herald, he appears weekly on National Public Radio's sports program, "Only A Game" and is a regular panelist on NPR's game show, "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me."
• Kinship with Rocks," an exhibition of paintings by Judith Ferrara, is on display in the East Wing Gallery of the Raymond M. LaFontaine Fine Arts Center through Nov. 19. In addition to the paintings, jewelry and other pieces of art created by MWCC alumnus Michael Remillard are on display through Nov. 9. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• The American Red Cross will conduct a Blood Drive on Wednesday, Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Commons Area. Stop by the Health Services Office, room 133, to register or call Diane King or Marianne Stoy at (978) 630-9136. Walk-ins are welcome.