HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) will hold a Registration Express event for the spring 2025 semester on Saturday, Jan. 11, when prospective students can apply for admission, take the college placement test, meet with an academic adviser, register for classes, and set up financial aid, all in one day.

HCC’s Registration Express event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and takes place on the first floor of the Campus Center on the main campus at 303 Homestead Ave. and virtually over Zoom.

The spring 2025 semester begins Tuesday, Jan 21. HCC also has Flex Start dates on Feb. 3 (Spring Start II) and March 24 (Spring Start III). Full-term spring classes run for 14 weeks. Spring Start II classes run for 12 weeks. Spring Start III classes run for seven.

Registration Express will also be an opportunity for prospective students to learn about the state’s new program for free community college, MassEducate.

“Registration Express at Holyoke Community College provides an opportunity for students to complete the admissions and registration process all in one day and all in one place,” said Mark Hudgik, dean of Strategic Recruitment Initiatives, Admissions, and Financial Aid. “Admissions, financial-aid, and advising counselors will be available to help students get ready for the spring semester.”

Those who can’t make it in person on Jan. 11 can still participate on those days virtually over Zoom.

The Registration Express Zoom link can be accessed through a link on the Registration Express page on the HCC website, hcc.edu/regexpress.

Also, HCC offices will be open for extended hours, according to the following schedule: Jan. 6-9, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Jan. 10, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Jan. 13-14, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; college offices closed Jan. 15 for a professional day; Jan. 16, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Jan. 17, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Jan. 21-23, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Jan. 24, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact HCC Admissions at (413) 552-2321 or [email protected], visit hcc.edu, or enroll at hcc.edu/sign-up-for-classes.

Todd McGee

HOLYOKE — Former Holyoke City Councilor Todd McGee has been appointed to the Holyoke Community College (HCC) board of trustees by Gov. Maura Healey. He attended his first HCC board meeting on Nov. 26.

McGee is a tax attorney and director of Estate and Business Planning for MassMutual Insurance, as well as a 1992 graduate of HCC. His term runs through March 1, 2029.

“I loved Holyoke Community College,” McGee said. “It has been part of my life for a very long time. I felt like an adopted son to President David Bartley. He always guided me along my career. I’m excited to be on this board. Anything I can do to help out, I will, because Holyoke Community College is really a family to me.”

After graduating from HCC with an associate degree in liberal arts, McGee went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in history from Northeastern University, a juris doctorate from Western New England School of Law, and a master’s degree in taxation from Boston University School of Law.

He served as a Holyoke city councilor for 18 years until 2023, his last three terms as City Council president. He briefly served as acting mayor in 2021 after the resignation of Mayor Alex Morse.

HOLYOKE — For the 23rd year, the Holyoke Community College (HCC) community collected hundreds of holiday gifts for consumers at four nonprofit agencies through its annual Giving Tree campaign.

On Dec. 12, representatives from the four agencies — Homework House, the Holyoke Veterans Home, WestMass ElderCare, and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children — attended a closing celebration where 302 gifts were distributed.

“Without community partners like you, we wouldn’t be able to create moments of joy for our veterans,” said Colleen Strunk-Ackerly, volunteer coordinator for the Veterans Home, formerly the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home.

Each year during the annual campaign, Giving Trees are set up in designated areas around campus. Participants choose tags from one of the nonprofit agencies based on the age of the recipient and their wish for a gift. The wrapped gifts are then piled on tables for the closing celebration, when HCC faculty, staff, and students join with representatives from the agencies to share food and stories.

“This is an amazing tradition and always brings out the best of HCC,” said Michelle Vigneault, giving committee chair.

Brittani Bey, Prevention Programs supervisor for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, noted that a lot of the agency’s consumers can’t afford to buy gifts for their children. “Many of our families are homeless, don’t have family support, and are struggling with their day-to-day needs, so being part of the HCC Giving Tree allows them just a little peace during this time of year, so thank you.”

David Haslam, executive director of Homework House, an after-school program in Holyoke, noted that “this support of Christmas gifts definitely keeps our kids spirits high,”

Roseann Martoccia, executive director of WestMass ElderCare, read a letter from one of the agency’s care managers, who has been distributing holiday gifts from HCC for 11 years. “The Giving Tree program is a blessing,” she said. “When gifts arrive and are delivered, the appreciation the consumers have is heartwarming. Some are surprised. All are grateful. It’s a wonderful feeling, knowing they were thought of and the community cares.”

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) celebrated the grand opening of its Marieb Adult Learner Success Center, a new support program for adult learners and student parents, on Dec. 11.

“We are a space dedicated to our adult-learner and student-parent community, where students who are 24 or older, or any student parent, can receive admissions counseling, holistic advising, and career counseling, or attend workshops,” said Anne Medina, HCC’s associate director of Enrollment and Recruitment. “It’s also a space where student parents can bring their children and study without feeling like they are being a distraction.”

The Marieb Adult Learner Success Center and the Parent Learning Center are funded through a $1 million gift from the Elaine Nicpon Marieb Foundation, which was established by the late professor emerita and HCC alum Elaine Marieb, a long-time member of the biology faculty who went on to become a bestselling author of anatomy and physiology textbooks.

“In her generosity and love of lifelong learning, she earmarked this money for the adult-learner and student-parent community,” Medina said. “She herself was an adult learner and understood the unique challenges adult learners face as older students. She firmly believed that they needed dedicated programs and spaces on campus to be successful in their studies.”

The Marieb Adult Learner Success Center is a small lounge and study area with adjoining staff offices. The nearby Parent Learning Center is a much larger space that contains a desk with an attached and secure play or napping area for small children, as well as a pack and play, changing station, large-screen TV, conference table, art easel, and learning corner with children’s books and toys.

“The Parent Learning Center is a workspace where students can bring their laptops, sit and work on group projects, or just kick back and relax for a while, where they can have their kids with them and feel safe and welcome,” Medina said.

Also, sometime in 2025, the college’s Itsy Bitsy Child Watch Center will relocate to a new and larger space on the second floor of the Frost Building, close to the Marieb Adult Learner Success Center and Parent Learning Center.

“We’re going to hear a lot more little ones roaming our hallways,” Medina said. “It’s certainly going to bring life to this hallway.”

HOLYOKE — The Holyoke Community College (HCC) Business & Community Services division has opened registration for its spring 2025 catalog of personal-enrichment and professional-development classes.

The spring calendar begins Jan. 29, with individual classes running on different schedules throughout the spring semester. Many are available as single sessions that cost as little as $39.

Personal-enrichment classes for spring include piano lessons; dance; acrylic painting; watercolor painting; pen-and-ink drawing; sewing; voiceover coaching; conversational Spanish, French, and Polish; Spanish for human-service professionals; wine tasting; music technology; hat making; home décor; and color design.

In the professional-development area, HCC is offering classes in QuickBooks; ServSafe; K-12 continuing education; investment strategies, trusts, and estate planning; as well as certification programs for people interested in becoming medical interpreters, real-estate salespeople, and notaries public.

Most classes meet in the Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development on the main HCC campus, 303 Homestead Ave., Holyoke. Wine-tasting classes meet at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute, 164 Race St., Holyoke.

To see complete spring course listings and schedules, or to register, visit hcc.edu/bcs. More classes will be added as spring approaches.

Amanda Sbriscia

HOLYOKE — Amanda Sbriscia, vice president of Institutional Advancement at Holyoke Community College (HCC) and executive director of the HCC Foundation, has been named to the Council of Foundation Leaders for the Assoc. of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB).

AGB provides leadership and guidance to the governing boards of its member institutions. The Council of Foundation Leaders is an advisory committee that includes foundation professionals from 25 U.S. colleges and universities. Sbriscia is one of only two council members representing a community college, and the only one from Massachusetts.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to serve as a member of the Council on Foundation Leaders,” she said. “Community colleges are hubs for educational and economic opportunity, and I commend AGB for including this voice around the table.”

The HCC Foundation became a member of AGB in 2020 to help its board of directors navigate a complex bylaw-revision process.

“Since then, AGB has been an invaluable resource that has elevated our work and helped us continuously strive for excellence in board governance,” Sbriscia said. “I look forward to learning from my colleagues at other institutions of all sizes, and also hope to contribute meaningfully to help us all navigate the changing education and fundraising landscape.”

In 2023, the HCC Foundation board of directors received the AGB’s John W. Nason Award, which is given annually to foundation boards that demonstrate exceptional leadership and initiative.

Guided by AGB, the HCC Foundation recently completed an 18-month strategic-planning process to ensure its alignment with HCC’s vision and priorities.

As vice president of the division of Institutional Advancement, Sbriscia oversees the offices of Development, Grants, Alumni Relations, and Marketing, and serves as executive director of the HCC Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising corporation for the college. The HCC Foundation manages assets of $25.3 million, including an endowment of $18.3 million, the largest community-college endowment in Massachusetts.

Sbriscia holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Cedar Crest College, a master’s degree in higher education from Drexel University, and a doctorate in education in educational leadership from Gwynedd Mercy University.

Last year, she was selected for a fellowship for aspiring college presidents by the AGB Institute for Leadership & Governance in Higher Education, a collaborative venture of the Assoc. of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, Miami University, and AGB Search, a search firm for college and university administrators.

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) will continue its celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with a Latinx Fiesta on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

The annual event will run from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the second floor of the HCC Campus Center, featuring food, music, and crafts. HCC faculty, staff, and students representing some 20 South American, Latin American, and Caribbean countries will have tables highlighting their individual cultures.

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationally each year from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 to recognize the cultural and historical influences of Hispanic Americans. On the HCC campus, starting this year, it is being called Latinx Heritage Month.

HCC will conclude its celebration of Latinx Heritage Month on Wednesday, Oct. 9 with “The Intersections of Deaf and Cultural Identities: Puerto Rican Experiences,” a panel presentation also supporting Deaf Awareness Month, at 11 a.m. in the Leslie Phillips Theater.

Sharale Mathis

HOLYOKE — Sharale Mathis, vice president of Academic and Student Affairs at Holyoke Community College (HCC), has been appointed to a national advisory board for community colleges.

Mathis was invited to join the Commission on Institutional Infrastructure and Transformation of the American Assoc. of Community Colleges (AACC), the primary advocacy group for U.S. community colleges. Her three-year term began July 1 and will run through June 2027.

The AACC’s Commission on Institutional Infrastructure and Transformation focuses on community-college efforts to improve student success, which includes administrative processes, infrastructure, technology, and workforce development.

As vice president of Academic and Student Affairs at HCC, Mathis oversees all academic divisions, as well as student records, the registrar’s office, planning and assessment, student-success programs, library services, advising, career services, transfer affairs, admissions, and financial aid, among others.

She holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Hartfield, a master’s degree in biomedical sciences from Quinnipiac University, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Eastern Connecticut State University. She joined HCC in 2021 after serving as dean of Academic and Student Affairs at Middlesex Community College in Connecticut, where she previously led the STEM division as director.

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently received the Igniting Workforce Success award from the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) for a cybersecurity training program it runs in partnership with the agency, which recently changed its name to MassAbility.

Specifically, the award recognizes HCC for its CyberOps training program, a free, nine-month remote program that trains MassAbility consumers to be cybersecurity analysts. MassAbility works with people with disabilities to empower their lives through counseling and various career and employment programs.

Kermit Dunkelberg, vice president of Adult Basic Education and Workforce Development, accepted the award on behalf of HCC at the MRC’s Igniting Workforce Success conference in June.

“We just completed our fourth year with MassRehab,” Dunkelberg said. “This award is a great recognition of that partnership. In MassRehab, which is now MassAbility, we have a great partner. They bring as much to the table as we do in terms of innovation and attentiveness to student success.”

The pilot program launched by HCC and MassRehab in 2020 was the first of its kind in Massachusetts. Based on the program’s success, MRC launched a second with Roxbury Community College, which also received an Igniting Workforce Success award.

“Together, we are re-envisioning employment and people’s lives,” MassAbility Commissioner Toni Wolf said in 2020 after the first cohort of students graduated from the HCC program. “In the wake of COVID-19, our perspective on what is possible for remote work is expanding on a daily basis, particularly how resilient and adaptive people with disabilities are. These Cisco certifications are nationally recognized and highly sought-after workplace credentials that will give these students the needed leverage to enter a high-paying industry.”

Since 2020, about 60 MassRehab clients have gone through the program, many emerging with paid internships that have led to full-time, benefited positions as cybersecurity analysts.

“It was MassRehab’s vision to offer training in the area of cybersecurity,” Dunkelberg said. “This is by far the longest-duration program that they run, and the most expensive, because it is not only a long duration, but very intensive. These students are studying 30 hours a week for about 10 months, so it ends up being 900 hours of training, but the difference that it can make in someone’s life is huge in terms of economic self-sufficiency.”

Once students complete the training, they take exams to qualify as Cisco certified support technicians and Cisco certified networking associates. Past program graduates have gone on to work as cybersecurity consultants and systems analysts for big tech companies, such as Dell Technologies.

“The story we always like to tell is one about a participant from our first program class who was making pizza at Big Y,” Dunkelberg said. “Upon conclusion of the program, he was making $80,000 a year as a consultant.”

Other students have more modest but no less meaningful career outcomes, he added. “We’ve had four or five students intern here at HCC in our IT department. For a lot of people, just getting that hands-on experience is the next step. Another one of our students got a job working in IT support at her local library, and that was just what she needed. Her family told us that, before she went through our program, she hardly had a life outside her home. Having a job she could walk to was the perfect outcome for her.”

In 2023, program instructor Dalip Singh received the Above and Beyond Award from Cisco Networking Academy for developing and teaching the cybersecurity class.

Overall, Dunkelberg said, the program has been so successful that the agency wants to explore new training partnerships with HCC.

HOLYOKE — Financial adviser Donna DeFant, a 1977 graduate of Holyoke Community College (HCC), will return to her alma mater on Friday, Sept. 27 to talk about “Inspired Giving.”

Her presentation, which begins at 10 a.m., will be held in HCC’s Learning Collaborative, on the second floor of the Frost Building on the main HCC campus, 303 Homestead Ave. It can also be viewed remotely over Zoom.

During her presentation, DeFant will discuss the fundamentals of charitably minded investing and answer questions based on recent developments in the world of finance.

DeFant grew up in West Springfield and graduated from HCC with an associate degree in business before moving on to Western New England College, where earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She worked as a financial adviser for Shearson Financial Services for several years before moving to Florida in 1989, where she worked as a certified financial consultant for 32 years, including serving as a vice president for Wells Fargo. She has also presented regularly on television and written for BusinessWest magazine.

The event is free and open to the public, but seats in the Learning Collaborative are limited, so advance registration is recommended.

To RSVP or register for remote viewing via Zoom, visit hcc.edu/inspired or contact John Sieracki, HCC leadership gift officer, at (413) 687-0322 or [email protected].

HOLYOKE — In partnership with the nonprofit CanCode Communities, Holyoke Community College (HCC) is offering a free, six-week beginner computer training course starting Sept. 30.

The real-time, instructor-led online classes will run Mondays and Wednesdays from Sept. 30 to Nov. 6, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Laptops and WiFi hotspots for internet access will be provided for students who need them.

The program is aimed at helping individuals build essential computer skills for both personal and professional development. Participants will explore the Microsoft Office program; learn how to create résumés, manage calendars, and send email; and be introduced to the world of artificial intelligence.

Funding for the progam comes from the Western Mass Alliance for Digital Equity. To sign up for classes, email [email protected] or call (518) 238-6808, ext. 702.

HOLYOKE — The new Holyoke Community College (HCC) food pantry is more than four times the size of the old one. More than that, it is now just steps away from the HCC Campus Center and cafeteria.

“This new location feels so much more like a hub for our students to receive the support they need,” said Amanda Sbriscia, HCC’s vice president of Institutional Advancement. “The shelves are well-stocked. It’s bright, it’s accessible, and it’s judgment-free, which is so important.”

The occasion for her remarks was a Sept. 10 ribbon-cutting celebration marking the relocation and expansion of both the HCC Thrive Center and the food pantry. Prior to the move, the food pantry occupied a small space within the Thrive Center, which was located in a tight, reconfigured classroom on the second floor of the Frost Building.

Now, the Thrive Center and food pantry occupy dedicated, more spacious rooms side by side on the second floor of the Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development, which adjoins the Campus Center.

The Thrive Center (formerly called the Thrive Student Resource Center) helps students address non-academic issues that can interfere with their studies, such as food and housing insecurity, transportation, healthcare, childcare, utilities, and credit. Thrive also manages the food pantry.

“When you think about college and what it takes to be successful, there are so many things that can prevent you from learning,” HCC President George Timmons said. “So this is just another opportunity for us to live up to our mission, which is being an institution of academic excellence that helps remove barriers to student success.”

Now, inside the Thrive Center, Ben Ostiguy, Thrive coordinator, and Elizabeth Rivera, Thrive’s bilingual program assistant, each have their own offices where they can meet privately with students. There’s also an additional office for a soon-to-be-hired food pantry manager.

Next door, in the food pantry itself, black wire shelving units hold non-perishable food as well as school supplies, baby supplies, and personal-care items — all free. There is also a freezer for frozen food items and a refrigeration unit for drinks and perishable items.

Before the ribbon cutting, Sbriscia thanked the many donors and partners responsible for making the Thrive Center and food pantry successful, including the United Way of Pioneer Valley, Holyoke Housing Authority, Rachel’s Table, Caring Health Center, PeoplesBank, Stop & Shop, Gary Rome Hyundai, Hyundai America, One Holyoke CDC, Enlace de Familias, and Tech Foundry.

HOLYOKE — Registration is now open for non-credit professional-development and personal-enrichment classes at Holyoke Community College (HCC) for the fall 2024 semester.

The fall calendar begins Sept. 3, with individual classes running on different schedules throughout the semester. Many are available as single sessions that cost as little as $39.

Classes for fall include Indian cooking, wine tasting, drawing, piano, cake decorating, dance, watercolor painting, machine sewing, voiceover coaching, conversational Spanish, conversational French, conversational Polish, bartending, yoga, home design, estate planning, medical interpreting, K-1 education, retirement planning, money management, and educational technology.

Most classes meet in the Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development on the main HCC campus, 303 Homestead Ave. Cooking, wine tasting, and bartending classes meet at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute, 164 Race St.

To see complete fall course listings and schedules or to register, visit hcc.edu/bcs. Check back often as more classes will be added as fall approaches.

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) will hold virtual information sessions on Thursday, Aug. 15 and Monday, Aug. 19 for anyone interested in learning about MassEducate, the state’s new program for free community college.

The two live, online information sessions will be hosted by HCC Admissions staff on Aug. 15 from 11 a.m. to noon and on Aug. 19 from 6 to 7 p.m.

Last month, Gov. Maura Healey signed the state budget bill, which includes funding for MassEducate. Regardless of age or income, Massachusetts residents who have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree can apply to HCC for the free college program, which includes tuition and fees and a stipend for books and supplies for qualified students. The MassEducate program compliments MassReconnect, the free community-college program for students 25 and older that was launched in 2023.

“We are beyond excited for prospective students to join us and learn more about how MassEducate can help them complete an associate degree or certificate program at HCC,” said Anne Morales Medina, associate director of Recruitment and Enrollment.

The sessions are open to anyone, including prospective students, currently enrolled students, and their family members. To sign up, visit hcc.edu/masseducate.

Those who can’t make it to a virtual session are encouraged to attend HCC’s Registration Express event on Saturday, Aug. 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or visit the HCC Admissions and Advising offices on the first floor of the Campus Center, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. (4:30 p.m. on Fridays).

Sonia Dinnall

HOLYOKE — Sonia Dinnall, the new superintendent of Springfield Public Schools, has been appointed to the Holyoke Community College (HCC) board of trustees by Gov. Maura Healey. Dinnall’s term will run until March 1, 2027.

Dinnall was named superintendent of Springfield Public Schools in May and is the first woman to hold that position. She previously served as the principal of the Springfield High School of Commerce, executive director of College and Career Readiness for Hartford (Conn.) Public Schools, and supervisor of student support services for Springfield Public Schools. She started her career in education as an eighth-grade science teacher in Forest Park Middle School.

“Throughout my 34-year career in education, the vast majority has been dedicated to fostering the integration of secondary and post-secondary education,” Dinnall said. “As a member of the HCC board of trustees, I am eager to contribute my knowledge and skills to enhance and strengthen the connection between our secondary and post-secondary institutions. My ultimate goal is to improve student outcomes and institutional success.”

Dinnall holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Lesley University, a master’s degree in psychology from Westfield State University, a master’s degree in education from the University of Massachusetts, and a bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology from Westfield State.

“The HCC community is excited to have Dr. Dinnall join the board of trustees of Holyoke Community College,” HCC President George Timmons said. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, and I look forward to collaborating with her to increase and improve students’ success from secondary schools to HCC. Dr. Dinnall is a welcome addition to a board of trustees committed to enhancing the college and removing barriers to student success.”

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) will hold Registration Express for the fall 2024 semester on Saturday, Aug. 24.

During Registration Express, prospective students can apply for admission, take the college placement test, meet with an academic adviser, register for classes, and set up financial aid — all in one day.

“Registration Express is designed to make it easy to become a student by providing all the resources to enroll in one place on one day, whether you are starting the process or finishing up the last few steps,” said Mark Hudgik, HCC’s dean of Strategic Recruitment Initiatives. “It will also be a great opportunity for prospective students to learn about MassEducate, the state’s new free community-college program.”

The Registration Express event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first floor of the Campus Center on the main campus at 303 Homestead Ave. Students who can’t attend that day or need additional time to finish their steps can also return for extended Admissions and Advising hours Aug. 26-29 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Aug. 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Full-term, 14-week fall classes begin Tuesday, Sept. 3. HCC has two additional fall flex start dates: Sept. 16, for 12-week classes, and Oct. 28, for 7-week classes.

Those who can’t make it in person during Registration Express week will be able to connect with registration advisers via Zoom or visit campus another day. HCC Admissions and Advising offices on the first floor of the Campus Center are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. (4:30 p.m. on Fridays).

For more information and instructions about accessing Registration Express via Zoom, visit hcc.edu/regexpress or contact HCC Admissions at (413) 552-2321 or [email protected].

William Reyes-Cubides

HOLYOKE ­— Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently named William Reyes-Cubides as assistant vice president of Academic Affairs and Student Success.

In this new position, Reyes-Cubides will serve as a bridge between both sides of the Academic and Student Affairs division to ensure that students receive the support they need to achieve academic success.

“I am genuinely thrilled to join this vibrant community. The culture at Holyoke Community College is remarkable, and what I have observed so far is incredibly inspiring,” said Reyes- Cubides, who recently moved to Western Mass. from San Jose, Calif., where he was dean of Humanities, Social Science, and Arts at San Jose City College. “It is clear to me that everyone here is deeply committed to student success and passionately invested in their academic journeys.”

At San Jose, Reyes-Cubides’ experience included curriculum development, resource allocation, personnel supervision, community relations and outreach, and student success initiatives. He previously worked as the dean of Arts and Humanities at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical School and an academic specialist of Curriculum Development and coordinator of Language Instruction at Michigan State University.

At HCC, he will oversee student support programs, including El Centro (for Latinx students), ALANA (for men of color), TRIO (for first-generation, low-income students), the Office for Students with Disabilities and Deaf Services, the Center for Academic Program Supports (tutoring centers), academic English as a Second Language, and SAMP, HCC’s Student Ambassador Mentorship Program. He started July 8.

“The core mission of this position is to ensure student retention, persistence from one semester to the next, and, ultimately, graduation,” he said. “My priority is to foster positive and meaningful student learning experiences. By acknowledging and valuing the cultural wealth and backgrounds that our students bring into the classroom, we create the perfect environment for academic success. Additionally, cultivating a strong sense of belonging for our students is essential to their overall well-being and success.”

The son of a teacher, Reyes-Cubides was born and raised in Colombia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education, Spanish, and English studies from the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional de Colombia in Bogotá, and a master’s degree in Romance languages and Hispanic studies from Boston College. He is pursuing his doctorate in education in leadership for equity in higher education from the University of Colorado-Denver.

Marlowe Washington

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Marlowe Washington as its first vice president of people, culture, and equity.

In this executive-level position, Washington serves as a strategic partner to President George Timmons, the HCC cabinet, and all campus constituencies to advance culture, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Washington comes to HCC following his work as the inaugural senior diversity officer at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, N.Y., where he oversaw the continuation of the university’s efforts supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion. He recently moved to Springfield, but maintains a residence in Rochester, where he is pastor of the Agape Fellowship United Methodist Church. He started his position at HCC on July 8.

“I am here, first of all, because the president’s vision really resonated with me,” Washington said. “He said, ‘I want to save lives,’ and you don’t normally hear that from a college president. That’s not what they talk about. That was what sold me, because education is the great equalizer. It was for me in my personal life, as it was for President Timmons.”

Washington is a New York City native who grew up in the Bronx. A first-generation college graduate, he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, a master of divinity degree in urban ministry and planning from the New York Theological Seminary in Manhattan, a doctorate of ministry in transformational leadership and cultural intelligence from Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, and a doctorate of education in executive leadership in higher education from St. John Fisher University.

“I am very excited about the hiring of Dr. Washington as our inaugural vice president for people, culture, and equity,” Timmons said. “I am excited about this enthusiasm, his excitement to be part of our team, to be part of our mission and vision. Being a first-generation college graduate and understanding the population we serve is really important.”

In his role, Washington will oversee the Human Resources department, Title IX (federal prohibition against sex and gender discrimination), the college’s Affirmative Action officer, and its interim executive director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

He is married to Mira Washington, a human-resources professional. They have two adult children and three grandchildren. His office on the fourth floor of the HCC Kittredge Center is already filled with photographs of family members and other young people whom he calls his “surrogate children.”

“They call me papa or dad or whatever,” he said. “I have a very strong relationship with them, and that’s what I love about higher ed, because it’s not just about educating, it’s developing relationships. Really, 90% of diversity, equity, and inclusion is about building relationships and building social connection. That’s what I’m aiming to do here at HCC.”

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) is now recruiting students interested in working in the human-services field for a free, two-semester certificate program that starts in September.

This is the second year of the grant-funded human-services certificate program, which started in the fall of 2023 after the college received a $1.28 million award from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services. The grant covers the full cost of tuition, fees, books, and supplies for students who want to earn a certificate in human services and is coupled with a paid internship at participating local social-service agencies.

HCC’s community partners in the grant include Gándara Center, Craig’s Doors, Mental Health Assoc., and Jewish Family Services. The grant and the HCC program are intended to help address a shortage of workers in the human-services industry.

“This program is really meant to accelerate a student’s entry into the workforce,” said Donna Rowe, chair of HCC’s Human Services program. “It’s wonderful that these four agencies have made this agreement with us. They’re looking for workers, and we have students looking to get into the field.”

The two-semester human-services internship program is now looking to fill slots for up to 30 full-time students to start in the fall. HCC celebrated the first cohort of students to complete the program on May 1.

The human-services industry presents a wide variety of career options for people who are interested in providing care to children, seniors, adolescents, the homeless, or individuals dealing with substance abuse or mental-health issues.

Thanks to the grant, the total savings for full-time students is estimated to be $5,384 per semester. During their second-semester internship, students will receive a stipend of $2,500, which will pay $20 per hour for 10 hours per week of on-the-job training and learning.

“There is definitely a big shortage of human-service workers,” said Amy Brandt, HCC’s dean of Health Sciences. “It’s a challenge for agencies who have a variety of workers at different levels. They don’t have a lot of additional resources to develop that talent pool. They really are on shoestring budgets trying to provide services to the community. When you look at this grant, it’s a huge investment that can really help fill their needs.”

The 24-credit human-services certificate students earn can also be stacked, or applied toward an associate degree in human services, which could then lead to a bachelor’s degree in social work at a four-year college or university.

“The program really has the potential to set students up for lifelong learning and career advancement,” Brandt said, “and it’s also helping these social-service agencies meet their needs.”

Tom Stewart

HOLYOKE — Tom Stewart, director of Athletics and Student Engagement at Holyoke Community College (HCC), is the recipient of the 2024 George E. Killian Award of Excellence, the highest award bestowed each year by the National Junior College Athletic Assoc. (NCJAA).

The award is given to those who demonstrate the ideals of volunteerism, achievement, service, leadership, and excellence. It is named after George Killian, the first executive director of the NJCAA, which he led for nearly 40 years.

“Thank you for all you do to ensure a great student-athlete experience and for your dedication to the NJCAA,” Christopher Parker, NJCAA president and CEO, said in the award letter.

Stewart, a graduate of Westfield State University, has worked in college athletics for more than 35 years, the past 26 at HCC, where he has been director since 1999.

At HCC, he oversees nine intercollegiate sports programs and manages the David Bartley Center for Athletics and Recreation. He serves on the NJCAA board of regents as the representative for Region 21. He chairs the NJCAA Division III men’s golf committee and the NJCAA Division III women’s golf committee while also serving on the NJCAA track and field committee.

During his career, HCC has hosted nine NJCAA cross country championships and a track and field championship. In 2016, he was elected second vice president for the association’s men’s division. In that role, he oversaw the complete budgetary activity of the association. He has previously served as the co-chair of the finance and budget committee.

Stewart and other award winners were recognized on April 17 in Charlotte, N.C. during the 2024 NJCAA annual convention.

Representing 550 schools, the NJCAA is the largest athletic association for two-year colleges in the U.S. Stewart is the first recipient of the George E. Killian Award from any college in New England since it was first presented in 2006.

“That means a lot,” he said. “It’s kind of a culmination of all my work for all these years. And as I’m winding down toward the end of my career, it’s kind of nice to be recognized, even though I’m not big on getting these kinds of awards.”

Stewart started his career in higher education at Westfield State, where he worked for seven years as Student Activities administrator and director of intramurals and coached cross country. He was hired at HCC in 1996 as Student Activities director and became assistant athletic director in 1999 and athletic director in 2007. He now also supervises the Student Engagement department at HCC, which includes Student Activities and the Student Senate.

In October, Stewart was inducted into the Westfield State University Athletics Hall of Fame. As an undergraduate there, he was a four-year member of the cross country and track and field teams. An all-conference runner in 1985 and 1987 in cross country, he won the Westfield State Invitational and was an all-New England runner in steeplechase his sophomore year. Westfield State’s cross country and track teams won conference titles all four years he was on the team.

HOLYOKE — Success strategist Kurt Faustin will lead a free emotional-intelligence workshop at Holyoke Community College (HCC) on Tuesday, April 23.

The workshop, hosted by HCC’s ALANA Men in Motion program, is free and open to the public. It will run from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the PeoplesBank conference room (301/303) in the Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development on the main HCC campus, 303 Homestead Ave.

“Emotional-intelligence competencies are at the heart of effective relationships, productivity, and overall success,” Faustin notes on his website. “Come learn and practice the EI skills that are the core of achieving personal awareness, connecting with others, managing stress, and conflict resolution.”

ALANA Men in Motion is an HCC student support and mentorship program for African-American, Latino, Asian, and Native American men who attend the college.

Kurt Faustin, founder of the Dropout Academy, a personal- and career-development program, focuses on bridging the gap between mental health and performance with an emphasis on emotional intelligence, goal setting, and stress management. A father, entrepreneur, coach, and success strategist, Faustin is a former writer for the Huffington Post and Forbes who has spoken in front of more than 50,000 people, working with organizations such as Harvard University, Chase Bank, and the United Way. He was appointed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu to the city’s first-ever Black Men and Boys Commission and selected by Color magazine’s 40 Under 40 Power List.

HOLYOKE — Fine and performing arts will take center stage on Wednesday, April 10 as Holyoke Community College (HCC) hosts its first-ever Arts in Action event, showcasing the talents of students and faculty from its Visual Art, Music, and Theater departments.

HCC will welcome more than 100 students from area high schools that day to visit the annual HCC student art show in the college art gallery, listen to live musical performances, observe demonstrations in the ceramics studio, and attend a full performance of HCC’s spring theater production of The Great Gatsby in Leslie Phillips Theater.

So far, participating high schools include Easthampton, Holyoke, West Springfield, and Libertas Academy Charter School in Springfield.

“This is going to be a wonderful event because it brings all of us in fine and performing arts together,” said Felice Caivano, chair of the HCC Visual Art department. “We’re excited to have 100-plus high-school art students, possibly prospective students, coming, and for the community to see what we’re doing in each of our departments.”

Most of Arts in Action takes place in the college’s Fine and Performing Arts building. HCC music students will perform in the lobby outside the theater on the second floor. On the third floor, in art studio 325, Visual Art Professor Margie Rothermich will be sitting at the throwing wheel demonstrating pottery making.

The event coincides with the opening of the annual Student Art Exhibition in the Taber Art Gallery inside the HCC Library on the second floor of the adjacent Donahue Building. The show runs through May 1.

Following the ceramics demonstrations and tours of the gallery, students will enter the theater to watch an 11 a.m. dress rehearsal of The Great Gatsby, which starts its three-day run the following night, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. The play, a stage adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, features a live jazz band on stage led by Music Professor Bob Ferrier, a jazz guitarist who is also the musical director for the show.

“Bob Ferrier is a genius,” said Theater Professor Pat Sandoval, director of the play. “We want people to see the great work being done at HCC. We’ve got great departments here with incredibly talented and committed individuals. Just come and see what we do.”

George Timmons

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) will mark a new chapter on Friday, April 19 with the inauguration of George Timmons as its fifth president.

The investiture ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. in the Leslie Phillips Theater on the second floor of the HCC Fine & Performing Arts building.

Timmons started working at HCC in July. He is the fifth president in the 78-year history of the college and the first African-American man to serve in that position.

The ceremony will start in the theater lobby of HCC’s Fine & Performing Arts building with a procession of faculty, staff, and distinguished guests, including presidents from many other Massachusetts community colleges and four-year colleges and universities in the region.

Also attending and offering brief remarks during the ceremony will be state Sen. John Velis; state Rep. Patricia Duffy; Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia; Patrick Tutwiler, Massachusetts secretary of Education; Robert Awkward, assistant commissioner of Academic Effectiveness at the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education; Carlee Drummer, president of Columbia-Greene Community College; Quintin Bullock, president of the Community College of Allegheny County; and Briana Beaver-Timmons, Timmons’ eldest daughter (accompanied by her two younger siblings).

Barney Garcia, the student representative on the HCC board of trustees, will offer remarks. The event will also feature performances by several HCC students: Ally Carnes will sing the national anthem, William Rodriguez-Otero will give a spoken-word performance, and Chestina Thrower will give a musical performance.

Vanessa Smith, interim chair of the HCC board of trustees, will present the presidential medallion to Timmons, who will then give an address.

A community reception will immediately follow the inauguration ceremony in the HCC Campus Center. Those interested in attending should visit hcc.edu/inauguration24 and follow the link to RSVP.

Before coming to HCC, Timmons served as the provost and vice president of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs at Columbia-Greene Community College in Hudson, N.Y. He holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Bowling Green State University, a master’s degree in higher education from Old Dominion University, and a bachelor’s degree in financial management from Norfolk State University. At HCC, he succeeded President Christina Royal, who retired in July 2023.

HOLYOKE — Attorney Karen Jackson of Jackson Law in Holyoke will lead three one-hour estate-planning workshops at Holyoke Community College, beginning Thursday, April 11 from 6 to 7 p.m. with “Core Estate Planning.”

In this first session, Jackson, an elder-law and estate-planning attorney, will explain the importance of the will, power of attorney, healthcare proxy, and the core estate plan.

In the second session, “De-mystifying Trusts,” on Thursday, April 18 from 6 to 7 p.m., Jackson will review the different types of trusts and how to decide if one is needed.

In the final course, “Saving Your Home from the Nursing Home Bill,” on Thursday, April 25 from 6 to 7 p.m., Jackson will explain the use of an irrevocable income-only trust to save nursing-home costs. She will also explain MassHealth rules and provide tips and traps to avoid.

Students can choose one or two classes at $39 each or register for the series for $90. To register, call (413) 552-2320 or visit hcc.edu/bce.

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) has been awarded a $104,000 state grant to continue training paraeducators to help address workforce needs in Hampden County public schools.

The grant, from the state’s Training Resources and Internships Network (TRAIN), will fund the next two rounds of HCC’s free, seven-week, online paraeducator training program. The first round begins March 25 and the second June 17.

Paraeducators, also called teaching assistants or teaching aides, typically work in classrooms in a variety of capacities, sometimes assisting classroom teachers with instruction or working one-on-one with students who have individual education plans (IEPs) and require additional assistance.

The 140-hour program blends job-readiness and career-exploration components with education and training specific to the knowledge and skills needed to pass the Professional Certification for Teaching Assistants (PCTA) exam, which qualifies individuals to work in federally designated Title 1 school districts, or those with a significant number of low-income households.

In addition to online instruction, the program includes in-person job shadowing and can lead directly to a four-week internship and subsequent employment with one of HCC’s public school system partners in Springfield, Holyoke, West Springfield, and Chicopee.

“I would never use the word guaranteed,” HCC Workforce Training Manager Andrew Baker said, “but I would say there is such a strong demand for this work that if students make it through our program, they’re pretty certain to get a job if they want one.”

HCC has been running the program four times a year since 2021 and expects to receive additional grants to keep it going beyond the March and June sessions.

The grant to HCC was part of a package of $1.5 million in TRAIN grants awarded to 13 community colleges across Massachusetts meant to prepare residents for careers in fields such as education, healthcare, addiction recovery, cybersecurity, and manufacturing. The grants will provide free career training to more than 400 adult learners at community colleges across Massachusetts, with all programs targeting residents who are unemployed or underemployed. The grant to HCC will pay to train 26 individuals.

HCC’s other grant partners include Springfield WORKS, MassHire Holyoke, MassHire Springfield, DTA Works, and United Way Thrive. Individuals who receive state benefits through the Department of Transitional Assistance or Transitional Assistance to Families with Dependent Children may qualify for a ‘learn to earn’ training and internship stipend of $125 per week.

While the primary focus of the paraeducator program is to prepare students to pass the PCTA exam, also important is the job-readiness curriculum, which covers the basics of applying for a job: writing a résumé, preparing a cover letter, gathering references, and practicing for an interview. The program also covers subjects such as how to function effectively in a professional setting, including working with colleagues, communication, respect for diversity, and reliability.

For more information or to apply, visit hcc.edu/para.

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) is running a free, five-week hotel training program starting Tuesday, March 19 for anyone interested in jump-starting a career in the hospitality industry.

The hands-on, in-person classes for hotel front-desk workers and hotel-room attendants will take place in HCC’s hotel training lab on the second floor of the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute on Race Street in downtown Holyoke.

The program runs on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 to 8 p.m., March 19 through April 18. Each of the 10 class sessions runs two and a half hours for a total of 25 hours of class time. A second spring training program will run from May 7 to June 6.

The course will provide students with up-to-date knowledge of the hotel industry, hands-on experience for front-desk and/or room-attendant roles, workplace skills, résumé building, interviewing, job-search assistance, and connections to local employers.

HCC’s hotel lab is set up like a hotel reception area, with front desk and adjoining guest room, and equipped with the most modern technology and software. The hotel lab gives students the ability to learn in a model hotel room and reception lobby, gain knowledge about key-card access systems, and understand point-of-sale technology.

No high-school diploma or GED/HiSET test is required for admission. Offered as part of HCC’s Business & Workforce Development division, the hotel training course is free to qualifying applicants.

HOLYOKE — As Black History Month draws to a close, Holyoke Community College (HCC) will welcome a panel of notable Black women from Western Mass. to talk about their lives and experiences.

The “Phenomenal Black Women’s Panel” on Wednesday, Feb. 28 runs from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Room 224 of the HCC Campus Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Julissa Colón, director of HCC’s El Centro program, will moderate. Panelists include Jada Waters, director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Middletown, Conn. public schools (and a former HCC staff member); Erika Slocumb, a Black-history scholar and director of interpretation and visitor experience at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford, Conn.; Kandice Jones, a counselor from the Springfield-based Center for Human Development; and Qua’Nae Golston-Thomas, a student activist at Holyoke High School and host of the “Let’s Talk With Qua’Nae” podcast on Holyoke Media.

“With this panel, we are creating an opportunity for our students to see their reflections mirrored, learning from the participants’ insights about what it means to aspire to our dreams and what it takes to live them,” Colón said.

HOLYOKE — The deadline to apply for scholarships from the Holyoke Community College Foundation for the 2024-25 academic year is Sunday, March 3.

Each year, the HCC Foundation awards hundreds of scholarships worth more than $300,000 to incoming, current, and transferring HCC students. Many students receive multiple scholarship awards.

Students must be currently enrolled at HCC or have been accepted for the upcoming academic year to be eligible for scholarships, which are awarded through the HCC Foundation, HCC’s nonprofit fundraising corporation.

Applicants need to fill out a single online form to be automatically matched with the scholarships they are most qualified to receive. There are scholarships for new students, current students, and students transferring to other institutions; scholarships based on financial need; scholarships for students in specific majors; scholarships for residents of certain communities; and scholarships that recognize academic achievement.

To make the process of applying easier, HCC opened a Scholarship Resource Center in January on the first floor of the Donahue Building (Room 158). The center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those in need of assistance can drop in any time during office hours to ask questions or to use one of the center’s three computer workstations. They can also schedule appointments to meet with center staffers.

“We’re so excited that we have this beautiful space to help students through the scholarship process,” said Laura Freeman, manager of Stewardship and Donor Relations and Scholarship Resource Center coordinator.

To view scholarship opportunities and begin the application process, visit www.hcc.edu/scholarships.

Derick Santos

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Derick Santos as its veterans-benefits and financial-aid counselor. He joined HCC on Jan. 22.

Originally from Lajas, Puerto Rico, Santos holds a bachelor’s degree in computational mathematics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., where he also worked in the Military and Veterans Services department for the university’s online campus. His father is an active-duty serviceman with the Puerto Rican National Guard.

In his new role, Santos is HCC’s school-certifying official and will process all benefits for U.S. veterans and military-affiliated students. He will also counsel prospective and returning students through the financial-aid process and serve as part of the counselor on-call rotation.

As such, he splits his office hours between the Bunker veterans resource center and study lounge in Donahue 105 (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings) and the Financial Aid office on the second floor of the Frost Building (Wednesday afternoons, Thursdays, and Fridays). The Bunker is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

HOLYOKE — Prospective students still have one more opportunity to sign up for spring 2024 classes at Holyoke Community College (HCC). Spring Session III classes begin Monday, March 18, and run for seven weeks, concluding by Thursday, May 2.

Students who enroll for Spring Session III have the opportunity to take classes in a wide array of academic areas and can earn as many as four credits per course for a lab science, such as biology or forensic science.

These accelerated spring courses are being offered in person and online in accounting, anthropology, biology, business, communications, culinary arts, economics, English, environmental science, forensic science, general studies, geography, history, human services, law, management, marketing, math, medical assisting, nutrition, and sociology.

To get started, visit hcc.edu/flexible-spring-starts. The HCC Admissions and Advising offices are located on the first floor of the HCC Campus Center and are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. (4:30 p.m. on Fridays). For more information, contact HCC Admissions at (413) 552-2321 or [email protected], or visit hcc.edu.

Laurel Carpenter

HOLYOKE — Laurel Carpenter, associate professor of Environmental Science at Holyoke Community College (HCC), has been awarded a national fellowship focusing on STEM education at community colleges.

The fellowship, from the Community College Presidents’ Initiative in STEM (CCPI-STEM), is intended for community-college faculty and administrators pursuing graduate degrees and conducting research related to STEM education and workforce development. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math.

Carpenter is part of a cohort of just seven CCPI-STEM fellows for 2024-25 and the only one from a college in the Northeast.

Fellows are selected from a national pool of applicants, who are evaluated based on their education, STEM experience, leadership potential, community engagement, and research.

“I’m very happy for Laurel,” said Elizabeth Breton, interim dean of HCC’s B-STEM division. “She is a gifted instructor and engages the students in community projects. I think she will use this opportunity to benefit not only herself but the college as well.”

A 2012 graduate of HCC, Carpenter is a wildlife biologist, chair of the HCC Environmental Studies department, co-coordinator of the HCC STEM Scholars program, and a graduate student at UMass Amherst, where she is pursuing a doctorate in education.

“My research, very broadly, is looking at the retention of students in STEM programs at community colleges and studying models of retention because most or the retention models are based on four-year college students and their needs and experiences, as opposed to students at community colleges,” Carpenter said.

CCPI-STEM fellows receive a $5,000 honorarium each year for two years to support their graduate studies. They also participate in professional-development activities and are paired with a professional mentor.

“I think what’s most exciting is that this will allow me to network with other educators who are researching similar topics related to community colleges,” she said.

Carpenter started taking classes at HCC in 2002 as a junior at South Hadley High School, but then transferred to Smith College for her bachelor’s degree. From there, she went to UMass, where she earned a master’s degree in wildlife conservation before returning to Smith for a master’s degree in secondary science education.

For more than 10 years, she worked as a wildlife technician, wildlife biologist, lead educator, and environmental interpreter for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. While she was working, she returned to HCC to complete her associate degree in environmental science.

“I started in 2002 and finished in 2012,” she said. “It’s always kind of funny. How do I put that on my résumé? I came back and finished my HCC degree after I had my master’s degree. There were just some classes that I really wanted to take, like Spanish, site assessment, and aquatic ecology. Before I knew it, I only needed one more class, so I finished.”

CCPI-STEM is based at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Md.

HOLYOKE — Feroza Sherzai holds the distinction of being the first Holyoke Community College (HCC) student to apply for a scholarship through the school’s new Scholarship Resource Center.

Sherzai arrived at the center on Jan. 31, just as the open house celebrating its grand opening got underway, and sat down at one of the center’s three computer workstations.

“This is a very good opportunity for students,” said Sherzai, a student in HCC’s academic English as a second language program. “I came here to fill out the application. I had a lot of questions.”

On hand to answer those questions was Laura Freeman, manager of Stewardship and Donor Relations for HCC and coordinator of the center. “She was very good,” Sherzai said. “She was very patient with me.”

The Scholarship Resource Center is the first of its kind among community colleges in Massachusetts. Its purpose is to make it easier for students to apply for scholarships available through the HCC Foundation.

“We’re here 9 to 5, Monday through Friday, to help with all things scholarship-related,” Freeman said. “It’s great to have this very warm, inviting, and inclusive space where students can come and get the assistance they need.”

Scholarship season for the 2024-25 academic year opened on Jan. 29 and continues through March 3. Each year, the HCC Foundation awards hundreds of scholarships worth about $350,000 to more than 300 incoming, current, and transferring HCC students. Students must be currently enrolled at HCC or have been accepted for the upcoming academic year to be eligible.

The center saw a steady stream of students throughout the four-hour open house, which culminated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon led by President George Timmons.

“This is such an exciting time for HCC, and we’re excited to continue to provide services that remove barriers to education,” he said. “What a great way to start your academic career and journey than here in this wonderful, new, lovely space. Not only is it functional, but it’s also social.”

Among the other students who came to the open house to apply for a scholarship was first-year student Sunrise Iaim Smith.

“I read that HCC had created a new facility where we can get support in applying and be able to ask questions during the application process,” Smith said. “I figured that’s a nice support to have. It’s not always easy navigating financial aid or understanding expectations when you’re filling out an application. Just having people who know the process there to support you makes it feel a little better, especially since it’s my first time.”

The Scholarship Resource Center is located on the first floor of the Donahue Building. The center is open Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students in need of assistance can drop in any time during office hours or schedule an appointment to meet with center staff.

Applicants need to fill out only one online form to be automatically matched with the scholarships they are most qualified to receive. There are scholarships for new students, current students, and students transferring to other institutions; scholarships based on financial need; scholarships for students in specific majors; scholarships for residents of certain communities; and scholarships that recognize academic achievement.

For more information or for assistance, email [email protected] or visit the center in Donahue 158. To view scholarship opportunities and begin the application process, visit www.hcc.edu/scholarships.

Elizabeth Ollson

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Elizabeth Ollson as its manager of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving.

Ollson is a 2018 graduate of HCC and also holds a bachelor’s degree in women, gender, and sexuality studies from UMass Amherst. She joined HCC’s division of Institutional Advancement in November.

Ollson came to HCC from Boston College, where she was the senior associate director of Annual Giving Programs. Prior to that, she worked at Amherst College as the Amherst Fund coordinator.

“We are thrilled to welcome Beth back to campus,” said Julie Phillips, HCC’s director of Development. “She brings over a decade of experience working on professional higher-education advancement teams and possesses a deep understanding of the importance of alumni engagement and its impact on advancing college initiatives.”

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) will hold a Registration Express event for the spring 2024 semester on Saturday, Jan. 6, when prospective students can apply for admission, take the college placement test, meet with an academic adviser, register for classes, and set up financial aid, all in one day.

HCC’s Saturday Registration Express event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first floor of the Campus Center on the main campus at 303 Homestead Ave. and virtually over Zoom.

The spring 2024 semester begins Tuesday, Jan 16. HCC also has Flex Start dates on Feb. 5 (Spring Start II) and March 18 (Spring Start III). Full-term spring classes run for 14 weeks. Spring Start II classes run for 12 weeks. Spring Start I and III classes run for seven weeks.

Registration Express will also be an opportunity for prospective students to learn about the state’s new programs for free community college.

“We’re excited about this year’s Registration Express,” said Mark Hudgik, HCC director of Admissions. “ With the Commonwealth’s investment in students through MassReconnect and the MASS Grant Plus expansion, it’s more affordable than ever to get a start on a college education or to pick up where you left off. Eligible Massachusetts residents can enroll half-time or more and know that the state will make sure their bill is covered.”

Those who can’t make it in person on Jan. 6 can still participate on those days virtually over Zoom through a link that can be accessed from the Registration Express page on the HCC website, hcc.edu/regexpress.

Also, during the first three weeks of January, the HCC Admissions and Advising offices on the first floor of the Campus Center will be open for extended hours, according to the following schedule: Jan. 2-4, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Jan. 5, 8:30 to 4:30 p.m.; Jan. 8-9, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Jan. 11, 8 a.m to 6 p.m.; Jan. 12, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Jan. 16-18, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Friday, Jan. 19, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. College offices will be closed on Jan. 10.

For more information, contact HCC Admissions at (413) 552-2321 or [email protected], visit HCC online at hcc.edu, or take the next step at hcc.edu/sign-up-for-classes.

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) and its partners have been awarded a state grant worth nearly $1.46 million to create a CNA (certified nursing assistant) to LPN (licensed practical nurse) training program to help area hospitals meet their workforce needs.

Earlier this month, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced a total of $3.9 million in Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly Workforce Success Grants for six initiatives representing employers and collaborative organizations across the Commonwealth.

The lion’s share of that money — $1,457,143 — will go to an HCC-led training program to assist 86 unemployed or underemployed individuals transition from jobs as nursing aides to positions as licensed practical nurses.

The grants, funded through the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund and distributed by the Commonwealth Corporation, aim to increase sustainable wage career pathways for Massachusetts residents facing employment barriers and improve the competitiveness of Massachusetts businesses by enhancing worker skills and productivity.

HCC’s partners in the grant include Baystate Medical Center, Baystate Wing Hospital, MassHire Hampden County, Springfield Works, and the National Fund for Workforce Solutions.

“We are delighted about the Commonwealth Corporation’s award to HCC and our many partners in this unique and innovative career pathway in nursing,” HCC President George Timmons said. “Healthcare is one of the largest industry sectors in our region, and it continues to grow. We hope that this pathway for licensed practical nurses will help create more family sustainable incomes for nursing assistants looking to advance in this exciting and rewarding career.”

The multi-stage program will first train individuals as nursing aides, then help them obtain jobs at area hospitals while they continue their training in HCC’s LPN program, all the while providing them with wrap-around support services. HCC already has an existing framework for CNA training through its Jump Start program, which is designed for individuals receiving public assistance.

“Every individual in Massachusetts should have access to quality job training, and our employers should have access to the skilled talent they need to do business,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “Our workforce is our greatest competitive strength. The latest round of Workforce Success Grants is another example of our administration’s commitment to expanding opportunities and expanding our lead.”

The six grant-funded initiatives aim to train and hire 384 individuals over three years. The Springfield-based Entrepreneurial & Business Collaborative also received a grant worth $630,998 to prepare 90 individuals for jobs in the hospitality industry. The group is partnering with Northampton Brewery, Granny’s Baking Table, River Valley Market, Tandem Bagel Co., and Puerto Rico Bakery II.

Other grant recipients include the Training and Upgrading Fund in Quincy ($717,220), African Bridge Network in Boston ($498,655), Cambridge College Inc. in Boston ($436,062), and Cape Cod Regional Technical High School District in Harwich ($225,425).