NECC PROFILE linda a . desjardins

Home: Hampton, New Hampshire

Age: 65

Profession: Professor of English and Communications (38 years)

Hobbies: Distance running, walking, music, volunteering, social networking, sports ....

Last book read: Claiming Ground by Laura Bell

Latest accomplishment: Professionally — I co-authored a paper titled “FirstYear Project-Based Engineering: The Secret to Student Success” to be presented this summer at the American Society of Engineering Educators’ conference. Personally — I ran Boston 2013. I was six-tenths of a mile from the finish line when the race was stopped. I’m already qualified for Boston 2014 and I will run that. It will be one of those reference points in my life when “things changed.”

Quote: My own mantra, and I do my best to practice it religiously is “Do what’s right, not what’s easy.”

Profile: I’m passionate about teaching … especially Public Speaking. It’s been my goal since completing a sabbatical on Oral Communication Across the Curriculum, that oral presentations be incorporated into as many classes as possible. I want no student to graduate from NECC without the experience of giving an oral presentation which is an empowering skill set. As of 2014, oral communication will be a graduation requirement.

I start every day with a run. Yes, EVERY day. The distance can vary from 20 miles to just three or four miles. It requires a lot of effort and discipline; but the rewards compensate for that.

Why I do what I do: I teach because I feed off the satisfaction I get in seeing a student’s growth in knowledge, critical thinking skills, and confidence levels. I run because I like how well it makes me feel physically.

New Computer Security Program Offered

a new one-year certificate program at northern Essex will prepare students for positions in the fast-growing data security field.

students in the computer security certificate program will be prepared to assess a company’s risk, document and implement security procedures, and check for security breaches in an organization’s system.

The program starts this fall and is designed for individuals with previous college-level experience or work experience in information technology (iT) who wish to upgrade their computer skills in security technologies. The curriculum consists of six computerrelated courses as well as English Composition i.

nECC offers several certificate programs in computer information sciences for students and professionals looking to enhance their skills, including computer forensics, computer networking, help desk, and web design.

U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz (shown above) addressed Northern Essex graduates and their families and friends who gathered under a tent on the quadrangle of the Haverhill campus on Saturday, May 18 at the college’s 51st annual Commencement. She encouraged the graduates to surround themselves with mentors, colleagues, friends, and family who would keep them motivated. david de Jesus of Lawrence, who graduated with a degree in General Studies: Music, represented the class of 2013 as the student speaker.