MWCC's weekly e-newsletter
Friday, December 15, 2006
MWCC HONORS 35 PRACTICAL NURSING GRADUATES AT SEMI-ANNUAL PINNING CEREMONY
By Kimberly B. Caisse
The semi-annual Practical Nursing Pinning Ceremony Thursday, Dec. 14 celebrated the achievements of 35 nursing graduates. Each graduate, dressed in uniform, was pinned by a licensed nurse of their choice. The eight-starred pin is imprinted with the words “Service to Humanity and the World” with the nursing symbol in the middle.
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Graduates of the Practical Nursing program at the Orange campus listen to classmate Amanda Soutiere speak about the significance of the traditional pinning and cap during their Pinning Ceremony. |
Many gave the honor to their professors, some to friends, co-workers or mentors, and others to family members. Graduate Francisco Ramos Jr. of Leominster was pinned by his sister Michele Ramos, RN, BSN; Elizabeth Lombard of Orange by her daughter Grace Sallila, RN; Chidzero Nkumba of Leominster by his cousin Nellie Mgeni, RN, BSN; Holly Rowe of Athol by her aunt Judy Rowe, RN; Doreen DiBiase of Baldwinville by her aunt Beverly Plante, RN; and Mindy Nefzger of Spencer by her aunt Esther Flint, RN.
“Graduation is not the destination, but a marker, a time to recognize achievement on the path, a milestone, and then we must pick up our bags and go onward,” said Brandy A. O’Rourke of Gardner, the class president.
“We can make a difference; we can change the world one patient, one nurse at a time,” O’Rourke continued.
More than 200 family members and friends gathered in MWCC’s theatre to see the practical nursing students from the Orange campus receive their graduation pins. They were recognized for their steadfast support as they went through the challenging program.
Admission to MWCC’s practical nursing program is very competitive, and MWCC’s training program leaves graduates well-prepared for their national licensing exams.
The Practical Nursing graduates are:
Nancy Bacigalupo of Athol, Shawnna Cetto of Athol, Christine May of Athol, Amy Modzeleski of Athol, Sandra Pelletier of Athol, Jeannine Quader of Athol, Holly Rowe of Athol, Jennifer St. Hilaire of Athol, Sarin Sith of Ayer (originally of Cambodia), Saroeun Sith of Ayer (originally of Cambodia), Doreen DiBiase of Baldwinville, Jaime Roach of Carver, Stacey Aubin of Fitchburg, Katia Diaz de Booth of Fitchburg (originally of Uruguay), Melissa MacCombie of Gardner, Brandy A. O’Rourke of Gardner, Shayna Gryszowka of Gilbertville, Michelle Symonds of Keene, N.H., Evan Collette of Leominster, Lordcase Kwinji of Leominster (originally of Cameroon), Chidzero Nkumba of Leominster (originally of Malawi), Francisco Ramos Jr. of Leominster (originally of Puerto Rico), Stephanie Pierce of Lunenburg, Linda Chaplin of Orange, Elizabeth Lombard of Orange, Amanda Soutiere of Petersham, Carla Wheeler of Princeton, Joe Thompson of Shirley, Mindy Nefzger of Spencer, Jennifer Stephenson of Troy, N.H., Jacqueline Davis of Westminster, Angela Baldwin of West Warren, Amanda Dibble of Winchendon, Jennifer Sullivan of Winchester, N.H., and Edith Bah of Worcester (originally of Cameroon).
MWCC’s Practical Nursing Certificate Program began in Orange in 2003. The program expanded to MWCC’s Devens campus in September 2005, and those students graduate in May.
MWCC HOSTS ‘ELIZABETH I: RULER AND LEGEND’ EXHIBIT
By Kimberly B. Caisse
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Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I of England |
At MWCC’s Leo & Theresa LaChance Library, “Elizabeth I: Ruler and Legend,” a national traveling exhibition that focuses on the brilliant monarch who ruled England from 1558 until 1603, is on display now through March 30, 2007.
Organized by the Newberry Library’s Center for Renaissance Studies, Chicago, in collaboration with the American Library Association Public Programs Office, this free exhibition shows how Elizabeth I transformed England into one of the most powerful and culturally rich countries in the world.
“We are proud to be among the 40 libraries across the country to host this exhibit,” said MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino. “I encourage anyone who is interested in the Renaissance or is learning about this era to view the display in our library and attend the related programs we are planning.”
The library is offering free programs and other events for the public in connection with the exhibition. Call (978) 630-9125 for details, or visit http://library.mwcc.edu. They include the following:
• An afternoon tea in late January after MWCC’s spring semester begins to commemorate the arrival of the exhibit. Further details will be announced as they become available.
• A performance by actor Marilyn Murphy Meardon on Wednesday, Feb. 28th from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at MWCC’s main campus. The 45-minute, solo performance, “Queen Elizabeth I: In her Own Words,” was researched and composed by Meardon, who used the Queen's own letters, poetry, prayers and speeches to create a performance that brings the monarch's words to life.
• A sonnet writing contest and a Renaissance read-in that will be held during the college’s spring semester. Further details will be announced as they become available.
The college’s English department is also incorporating Renaissance literature, poetry and plays as well as Elizabeth I’s personal writings in spring semester courses.
“Elizabeth I: Ruler and Legend” is made possible by major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), with additional support from the Vance Family Fund and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
MWCC GATEWAY TO COLLEGE PROGRAM OFFERS SECOND CHANCE FOR DROPOUTS
By Daniel M. Asquino
Each year, almost one-third of all public high-school students—and nearly one-half of all blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans—fail to graduate with their class. Many leave high school less than two years before they are scheduled to graduate.*
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President Daniel M. Asquino |
We see these statistics play out in our region’s schools, including Fitchburg and Leominster. They are a call to action. They are why Mount Wachusett Community College became a site for the national Gateway to College dropout recovery program.
One in three students dropping out of high school is a harbinger that we’re losing our young people to low-paying jobs, to poverty, to the street, to hopelessness. Filling higher paying jobs, wiping out poverty and homelessness, and offering hope and opportunity in our communities in large part requires that we shrink those rates down to the statewide level of 3 percent—or less.
The disparities between earnings of high-school dropouts and those with high-school and college diplomas are striking. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, individuals in 2005 with less than a high-school diploma earned $21,268 a year; high-school grads with no college earned $30,316; individuals with an associate’s degree or some college earned $34,840; and individuals with a bachelor’s degree or higher earned at least $52,676.
Not only do these gaps impact what these individuals can do for themselves and their families, but they affect the health of our communities in myriad ways. Their ability to support local businesses is lower; their need for services like a food pantry is greater.
The creators of the first Gateway to College program at Portland Community College in Oregon recognized that traditional schools don’t work for everybody. With their encouragement, we have scheduled our Gateway to College classes to run in the afternoon and evening at our Gardner campus.
I understand that young adults who’ve dropped out and teenagers on the brink of dropping out of school need a supportive environment when they return to the classroom. Our Gateway to College resource specialists are dedicated to their students’ success. Plus, students meet classmates with similar stories and goals.
I understand that a program like this must be affordable for people to take advantage of it. We charge Gateway to College students only $25 per semester and, if they need it, $40 a month for bus transportation to The Mount’s Gardner campus. Anyone who applies must pay the college’s $10 application fee.
I also understand that childcare can hold back a parent from seeking an education. We offer childcare stipends to eligible students.
This program was designed by Portland Community College to offer high-school dropouts and students on the verge of dropping out of high school an opportunity to earn a diploma in a college-like setting and earn college credits. This means all of the Gateway to College sites, including MWCC, expect a lot of their students.
To help transition back to education, our students complete their first semester in a small learning community. They take classes in reading, writing, mathematics and college survival. Students must pass each class with a grade of ‘C’ or better. One hundred percent attendance is required.
Nicole McCarthy, a Gateway to College student, told me recently that these classes motivate her everyday to build a better future for herself. She came to us from Fitchburg High School, where she stopped out at 15 to have a child. Faced with returning as a freshman/sophomore, Nicole opted to enroll in our Gateway program to earn her high-school diploma and begin college faster than she thought was possible.
After Nicole and her peers successfully complete their first semester in a few weeks, they will enroll in college courses with the general MWCC population. The resource specialists will continue to support them—and future Gateway students—throughout the process.
For decades, the GED has been the only way for dropouts to re-enter the education system. This test has put countless lives back on track. But the number of dropouts in our area exceeds the capacity of GED programs, such as ones run by MWCC and Fitchburg Public Schools, to help them restart their education. Gateway to College provides another path.
Leaders of the Twin Cities should join the cause of lowering their city’s dropout rate. Fitchburg and Leominster can no longer afford to ignore this large segment of the teenage population. An immediate way to do this is encourage more dropouts to enter a program like Gateway to College.
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* This column was first published in the Sentinel & Enterprise on December 1, 2006.
CAPP STUDENTS AT B.F. BROWN MIDDLE SCHOOL HOLD PENNY DRIVE
Between September and December, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade Educational Talent Search and Project Excel students at B.F. Brown Middle School in Fitchburg held a penny drive as their community service project.
The students collected pennies in empty water jugs, racing to see which grade will be able to raise the most money. Many community members have been involved including Fitchburg Mayor Dan Mylott. All proceeds were donated to three local charities of the students’ choice.
Educational Talent Search and Project Excel are two of MWCC’s College Access and Preparation Programs. Educational Talent Search is a federal TRIO program funded through the U.S. Department of Education. Project Excel is a Massachusetts Educational Opportunity Program funded by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.
More MWCC News:
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MWCC’s Leo & Theresa LaChance Library will host the "Elizabeth I: Ruler and Legend" traveling exhibit beginning Wednesday, Dec. 13 through March 30. The library is one of only 40 public and academic libraries in the nation to host this exhibit. This new exhibit commemorates the 400th anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England and encourages audiences not only to reacquaint themselves with the Queen, but also to become more familiar with the historical and cultural forces that shaped her personality and her time, and to examine the mixture of history and legend that continues to surround her today. The American Library Association Public Programs Office, in partnership with The Newberry Library of Chicago and the National Endowment for the Humanities, is sponsoring the traveling exhibit. All showings of the exhibition and related programs will be free and open to the public. For more information, contact Reference and Instruction Librarian Ellen Pratt at (978) 630-9125.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner Paul Cote Jr. welcomes participants of a state pandemic training session at MWCC Friday, Dec. 15. The four-hour training focused on local government and public safety plans for continuity of operations during a widespread outbreak of illness.
- MWCC’s new Biotechnology manufacturing program will host information sessions Tuesdays Dec. 19, Jan. 9 and Jan. 16 from 6 to 7 p.m. and Thursday, Jan. 4; and Tuesday, Jan. 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the main campus, 444 Green St., Gardner. With the decision by the drug manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb to locate a large biotechnology company at Devens, the college anticipates a 64-credit degree program will begin in fall 2007 and a 28-credit certificate program in fall 2008 at the Devens campus. The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council predicts more than 100,000 biotechnology jobs will be added statewide by the end of the decade. Registration is required. To register and for more information, contact MWCC’s Dean of Science Charles Weitze at cweitze@mwcc.mass.edu or (978) 630-9207.
- Theatre at the Mount is accepting nominations for the inaugural High School Musical Theatre Awards, the TAMYs. These awards recognize the exceptional accomplishments in the production and performance of musical theatre in area high schools. Area high schools are invited to participate in the competition by entering their annual musical production for consideration in a variety of categories, including: best overall production, best actor, best actress, best choreography, etc. Members of the Theatre at the Mount staff will attend and evaluate each production, making nominations in each category. Winners will be honored at a “red-carpet” awards ceremony and dinner modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards. Local schools interested in participating in the TAMY Award program should contact Professor Gail Steele at (978) 630-9162 or gsteele@mwcc.mass.edu.
- MWCC will host a Renaissance performance by actor Marilyn Murphy Meardon on Wednesday, Feb. 28th from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the main campus. The 45-minute, solo performance, “Queen Elizabeth I: In her Own Words,” was researched and composed by Meardon, who used the Queen's own letters, poetry, prayers and speeches to create a performance that brings the monarch's words to life. Meardon’s performance will complement the “Elizabeth I: Ruler and Legend” traveling exhibition on display in the Leo & Theresa LaChance Library through March 30, 2007. For more information, contact the library at (978) 630-9125.