Practical
Dear Friends,
Our practical nursing program was just named the top program in the state, and I’m so proud of our faculty, our students, and our alumni, who have all had a part in the program’s success.
The 10-month certificate program graduates 30 students each year, all of whom look forward to jobs making an average salary of over $56,000 here in the Merrimack Valley. While working, graduates can continue their studies, earning an Associate Degree in Nursing, which leads into a bachelor’s in nursing at one of our four-year, partner colleges.
When we shared the recent news about the program’s top ranking on Instagram, Shaun Voss, a 2011 practical nursing graduate, now a registered nurse in West Oahu, Hawaii, left this comment:
“Best Nursing Education I have had to date. One year from finishing my MSN and it all started with @northernessex. #practicalnursingprogram”.
Wow. I love this kind of unsolicited and authentic feedback from our alumni. Thank you, Shaun. In this issue of alumnecc, you’ll also read about our Hospitality & Culinary Arts Center that we plan to open in downtown Haverhill in 2019. You’ll also learn about #FacesofNECC, an exciting new photo project led by former student Jose Garcia that captures the many interesting stories of people on our campus.
If you are like Shaun Voss and feel strongly about the quality of the education you received at Northern Essex, please share those good feelings. If Northern Essex had any part in getting you where you are today, Lindsay Graham, lgraham@necc.mass.edu, the college’s alumni director, would love to hear your story. We’re proud of you and grateful we could play a small role in your journey.
Sincerely,
Lane A. Glenn, President
Editor: Sarah Comiskey
Contributing Editors: , Ellen Small Davis, Ernie Greenslade, Wendy Shaffer
Graphic Designer: Susan Stehfest
Writers: Sarah Comiskey, Ellen Small Davis, Ernie Greenslade
4 NECC SETS THE TABLE FOR HOSPITALITY AND CULINARY ARTS
6 PRACTICAL NURSING PROGRAM IS NUMBER ONE IN STATE
8 THE FACE BEHIND THE FACES OF NECC
10 ON CAMPUS/IN THE COMMUNITY
6 8 10 12 14
12 MAKING A DIFFERENCE
14 ALUMNI NEWS ‘ N NOTES
Northern Essex is bringing its appetite for excellence to downtown Haverhill – and serving up a full menu. Beginning in the fall of 2019, NECC will plan to offer classes in hospitality and culinary arts at a new center in “The Heights at Haverhill,” a mixed-use, luxury development that will soon be constructed at 192 Merrimack St.
The center, built by Lupoli Companies, will occupy the second and third floors of the building and include culinary classrooms, lab spaces, and meeting areas for team building and workforce development training. The building is also anticipated to house a restaurant and a function facility, both of which may serve as internship sites for students, as well as a regional, one-stop, career center.
Lupoli Companies is expected to complete construction of the building by next spring, with NECC slated to assume occupancy in June of 2019. Classes are scheduled to begin in September of 2019.
“We are looking forward to partnering with Lupoli Companies and contributing to the exciting revitalization of downtown Haverhill,” says NECC President Lane Glenn, reflecting on the building’s development.
NECC already offers an Associate of Science Degree in Business Management: Hospitality and will soon offer a 27-credit Culinary Arts Certificate program as well. With the introduction of the new center downtown, both programs are expected to grow in the coming years.
The development and expansion of NECC’s hospitality and culinary arts course offerings is being overseen by chef and culinary instructor Andreas Fleckenstein, who has been hired on as a program coordinator on the project team. Fleckenstein and other leaders of the initiative are now looking into partnerships with regional high schools and universities while refining the center’s structure and community mission.
“This program will serve a broad range of folks in the Merrimack Valley and help them to acquire and develop skills with which they can earn a good living in the industry,” Fleckenstein says. “This will not only make people stronger, but will also build strength in our surrounding community and for the families that live in them.”
NECC is the second college in the Merrimack Valley to offer courses in downtown Haverhill and is the first in the Merrimack Valley to offer a satellite center devoted exclusively to culinary arts and hospitality.
Andreas Fleckenstein, who was recently named as a program coordinator on the hospitality and culinary arts program team, will play a key role in creating recruitment plans, courses, and internship pathways for students enrolled in hospitality and culinary arts courses. A decorated chef with over 25 years of experience in the field, Fleckenstein comes to Northern Essex prepared to offer the leadership that the program will need to thrive. He has taught culinary arts and hospitality at Cornell University, Purdue University, and Salt Lake Community College, among others, and is an American Culinary Federationcertified executive chef and culinary educator.
Fleckenstein is a graduate of both the Culinary Institute of America and the Cornell University Hotel and Restaurant Administration Program.
Photo, opposite page: Carl
photo. Alan
former owner of Keon’s 105
watches executive chef, Rob Giallongo prepare pan
scallops. Boisvert is one of several local restaurant owners who are advising NECC in planning for the new culinary arts training program.
Above, top to bottom: Andreas Fleckenstein, The Heights at Haverhill
Nicole Frascone of Haverhill (pictured on cover) has been a caregiver most of her life. She cared for her parents who both died from cancer, and for her son, who passed away 17 months ago from melanoma, at the age of 18.
Throughout these experiences, she saw “a lot of great nursing” and was impressed. This is what led her to the Practical Nursing Program at Northern Essex, which was just named the top program in the state by PracticalNursing.org, a national nursing advocacy organization.
The rankings were based on graduate passing rates on the NCLEX-PN (National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses) exam, which is used by state boards of nursing nationwide for testing proficiency and granting licensure. Eighteen programs in Massachusetts were ranked, and Northern Essex received an overall score of 96.45 out of 100.
“This is great news for our students and the community which counts on Northern Essex for its LPNs,” says Lisa Bass, coordinator of Northern Essex’s Practical Nursing Program.
LPNs are in high demand in Massachusetts, due in part to the nationwide nursing shortage. According to the PracticalNursing.org website, there are 1,150 LPNs employed in Lawrence, Methuen, and Salem, NH earning an average hourly wage of $27.34 and an average annual salary of $56,860.
Northern Essex’s LPN Program is a 47-credit certificate program. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the national licensing exam and can also apply credits earned to NECC’s associate degree in nursing, which offers an advanced placement option for licensed practical nurses. The program includes classroom study, lab practice, and a clinical experience. LPN’s work for long-term care facilities, outpatient clinics, home health care, rehabilitation centers, and more.
The majority of students in the program are, like Frascone, pursuing a second career, and many are parents.
Frascone worked a variety of jobs while raising her kids, but she wasn’t fulfilled until she began working as a CNA six years ago and discovered the satisfaction of helping patients and their families. “Every person is someone’s grandmother, someone’s child, someone’s mother, and caring for them is a privilege,” she says.
After six years as a CNA, Frascone was ready to pursue her education and take on new responsibility. She took her prerequisite courses, some online, and then enrolled in the program in the fall of 2017 with plans to graduate in August of 2018. She’s already been offered a job with Merrimack Valley Health Center in Amesbury, where she works weekends.
Jose Garcia likes to tell other people’s stories…with his camera.
To that end, the former Northern Essex Community College Information Technology student regularly visits the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses, camera in hand, capturing the images and tales of obliging members of the college community. These are the #FacesofNECC.
The 29-year-old Haverhill resident hopes to perfect his portrait photography skills while capturing the stories of faculty, staff, and students. In the style of the wildly popular and highly publicized “Humans of New York” blog by Brandon Stanton, Garcia photographs, videotapes, and interviews individuals who agree to participate in the project.
The final product has been launched and shared on Northern Essex’s social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. This is a pro bono project for Garcia, who is merely attempting to boost his photography skills. All of his work can be viewed at raidenphotos.com. Participants give a recorded verbal agreement so the image can be used by NECC’s marketing department.
Garcia approached Northern Essex about photographing willing community members because of the ample supply of subjects.
“The photography mentors I follow like Dani Diamond and Gary Vee (Vaynerchuk) stress posting content, content, content, every day. I thought ‘Where can I safely go for a consistent pool of people that is also close to home?’ Northern Essex seemed like the perfect fit since I was familiar with both campuses.”
Born in the Dominican Republic, Garcia moved to the United States when he was six. He was raised and educated in Haverhill before moving to Lawrence and attending the former Essex Agricultural High School and North Shore Community College, where he studied animal science hoping to open a dog training business.
Animal training was usurped by computers. Garcia had absorbed his dad’s interest in computers. He enrolled at NECC and just a semester shy of graduating, was sidetracked by the powers of the modern camera.
While helping his wife Jeannie establish a modeling and product marketing business, his inner computer nerd became captivated with the digital camera and all it could do. Self-taught on the camera as well as on post-production software (including Photoshop and Lightroom), Garcia and Jeannie were shooting magazine-style photo spreads for Etsy, eBay, and a few Amazon stores in no time.
“I suddenly realized I really like doing this and I get paid for it,” he said.
Inspired that he found his calling, he built a website, launched social media accounts, named the business Raiden Emery Photography, after their now four-year-old son, and continued to point and shoot with his camera. While his animal business never gained traction, his work with the animal kingdom transferred well to working with humans in the photography business where he makes it his business to capture individuals in their natural environs.
While he has successfully photographed nature and weddings, it’s portraiture he enjoys most. That’s where the NECC community comes in. Garcia has been a self-avowed people watcher since he was in high school.
“I’ve always been taken by people’s body language in certain light,” he said. “My job has been to get the camera to see and capture what I’m seeing. I want the photo to say something.”
To learn more about the #FacesofNECC visit www.necc.mass.edu/faces.
It’s a good thing Dan Blair ran track and cross country at Newburyport High School and Bridgewater State University, because he hit the ground running when he arrived at Northern Essex last fall as the director of athletics. Blair, who holds a master’s degree in sport facility management, oversees the college’s eight varsity sports and numerous club sports. He inherited one of the most successful athletic programs at a Massachusetts community college, with a baseball team ranked among the top in the nation and a basketball team on the rise. Under Blair’s leadership, the college recently developed a varsity golf team and reintroduced the annual golf tournament.
Home: Newburyport, Massachusetts
Profession: Director of Athletics
Hobbies: Golf and travel
Last book read: TheSacredAcre:TheEdThomasStory by Mark Tabb
Latest accomplishment: Starting here as the AD at NECC and working to grow the program as well as provide the student-athletes with a traditional intercollegiate athletic experience that they would find at a four-year college.
Quote: “You can’t be common, the common man goes nowhere; you have to be uncommon.” – Herb
BrooksProfile: This is my 11th year working full time in college athletics; my first year as an AD. I have previous experiences in athletics including compliance, fundraising, budget development, marketing, promotions, and event management. I have high expectations for success. I’m always looking for ways to grow programs that will provide new opportunities for students.
Why I do what I do: Athletics is a passion of mine. This career allows me to stay involved in it every day. I enjoy working as part of a team to help students achieve their academic and athletic goals. Athletics opened the professional door for me and I hope I can help open doors for students.
When Cleo Brigham crossed the stage at commencement last spring, she had no idea that she was about to obtain the internship of her dreams. Following a career discussion with commencement speaker and meteorologist Matt Noyes, however, she was able to do just that. Noyes was impressed by her professionalism and suggested that she send him her resume and writing samples. Eventually, after a period of review, she was accepted for a fall 2017 internship with NBC Boston’s Special Investigation Unit.
The experience has helped shape Brigham’s career. “I know that I instinctively like to inform people and share knowledge, which is why journalism is such a good fit for me,” she says. A former editor in chief of the NECC “Observer,” she plans to continue her education at a four-year college or university in Boston this year.
The Northern Essex athletics department has announced a series of exciting updates to its golf program, which, after a hiatus, is seeing a strong return.
Intercollegiate Team: Next spring, NECC will offer intercollegiate golf to its students, joining up with six other institutions within the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XXI in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to compete in area tournaments. The program, which will use Atkinson Resort and Country Club as its home base for practice and competition, has emerged thanks in part to NECC alumni and Atkinson employees Peter Doherty ’84 and Sean Chipman, who helped spearhead efforts to get the team underway, in collaboration with Athletics Director Dan Blair. The golf team will operate under the direction of recently-hired coach Michael Dube.
Golf Tournament: The NECC community is pleased to announce that it will once again host a spring golf
tournament fundraiser open to all alumni, friends and community members. The tournament and all affiliated activities will take place on Monday, June 18 at the Atkinson Resort and Country Club. A shotgun start will get the tournament underway at 1:30 p.m.
Those interested in participating may download and submit a registration form available through the NECC website at www.necc.mass.edu/golf-tournament. Proceeds benefit the NECC Athletic Program, which sponsors eight intercollegiate athletic programs for men and women. Please contact Dan Blair, director of athletics, at dblair@necc.mass.edu for more information.
Ten years ago NECC professor Paul Saint-Amand was struck by an idea: what if we could better use art to create a communal understanding of peace? It was with this thought in mind that he launched the NECC Peace Poetry Contest, which in the past decade has attracted over 10,000 submissions on the subject – with poets hailing everywhere from Plaistow to Pakistan and beyond.
“Each year, I am pleasantly surprised by the volume of submissions,” Saint-Amand says of the program’s tenure and popularity. “But, more important, I am overwhelmed by the care and level of poetic expression found in the entries.”
The contest, which takes place each spring, is open to all members of the NECC community as well as students from K –12 schools and adults affiliated with those schools. On-campus readings of the winning entries take place every May.
A Vietnam war-era veteran, Saint-Amand also serves as director of the Vietnam Veterans Chapbook Project and as founder and project director of the National Peace Poetry Project. He has taught English at NECC since 2007.
Paula Moore ’99, an experienced tax professional and longtime supporter of NECC, recently returned to campus to provide complimentary tax preparation workshops to students. A former NECC Foundation Board member and a current member of the Women of NECC, Moore has proven instrumental in funding an array of campus initiatives. She credits NECC with inspiring this spirit of giving.
Gifts of cash enable funds to be made available for immediate use by NECC and are fully tax deductible. To make your gift, simply complete and return the enclosed envelope with your check made payable to NECC Foundation, Inc. or give online at www.necc.mass.edu/giving.
Gifts of appreciated securities offer significant tax advantages to the donor. Please call Institutional Advancement for further information and instructions for their transfer.
Many companies match contributions made by a current or retired employee or spouse. Contact your Human Resources Department if your employer has such a program and, if so, obtain the proper forms and forward them to Institutional Advancement.
You may make a charitable contribution to NECC and also receive income for life while obtaining significant tax advantages.
Any asset may be transferred to NECC by bequest. The gift may be made under your will, through a trust, or by designating NECC as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement plan.
You may make gifts of real estate and gifts of future interests in real estate and obtain tax savings.
NECC’s Institutional Advancement Office can provide you with additional information about the many ways of giving to NECC. Call or email Jean Poth, vice president of institutional advancement; executive director, NECC Foundation, Inc. at 978-556-3624 or jpoth@necc.mass.edu.
Linda
Hotchkiss ’80
Retired CEO, Rochester District VNA
“ Going to NECC and getting my degrees in both business and accounting put me on a path to use these skills to aid senior citizens, NECC students, low-income families, and non-profits.”
Elinor Spofford ’66
Rosemary Klueber ’70
Michael Angelari ’72
Paul Fitzmeyer ’73
Anna Tozier ’78
Albert Apitz ’78
Ruth Horton ’79
Nancy Demmer ‘81
Jean Chase ’81
Keith Eggers ’81
Donald Shea ’93
Kathlene King ‘00
Timothy Mitchitson ’08
TERRY PALARDY ‘69 was featured in local media for her “Comfort Quilts,” which are designed to provide consolation to children facing emergency situations.
RON GUILMETTE ‘74, alumni representative to the NECC Board of Trustees, published his second book, “The First to Serve,” which chronicles the early years of America’s first state police agency.
JOE RYAN ‘77 became a visiting lecturer this semester for NECC’s new noncredit supervisor/management skills training program. The program, free to local companies that qualify for the Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund grant, helps area professionals enhance their supervisory skills.
RICH PADOVA ‘80, professor of history at NECC, has published “Who Are They? A Look at Vice Presidential Spouses from Abigail Adams to Karen Pence.” The book provides a comprehensive biographical overview of all U.S. vice presidential spouses.
QUOC PHAM ‘84 has chronicled his life in a new memoir, “The World Looked Away — Vietnam after the War: Quoc Pham’s Story,” co-authored by David Bushy.
CHRISTOPHER KUCHAR ‘92 has been named vice president and team leader for commercial lending at MountainOne Bank’s Danvers location.
GERARD BOUCHER ‘01, a Vietnam War veteran and Purple Heart recipient blinded in battle, was profiled in local media outlets. Boucher received a Ph.D in sociology and human services earlier this year.
JODY CARSON ‘02, NECC professor of early childhood education, and SUSAN TASHJIAN, instructional designer for NECC’s Center for Instructional Technology, have been highlighted in local media for their work in implementing the “Go Open” project, a statewide initiative that encourages faculty to use free open educational resources in place of costly textbooks. The “Go Open” project is a Bellwether finalist and was funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant.
REANNE MALESKY ‘10 returned to campus to deliver a special presentation skills workshop to students of NECC’s hospitality and business programs. Co-sponsored by the Business & Accounting Academic Center and Career Services, her lecture covered tips to making a compelling professional presentation.
ANEURIS JAVIER ‘11 was recently named Agent of the Year by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Javier was selected from more than 40,000 officers nationwide for the award.
SUE HAMEL ‘14 has been promoted to the position of payroll manager at Work Opportunities Unlimited, a community-based employment service provider. Hamel joined the company’s accounting team in 2017.
DAVID MESTA ‘17 was profiled in the NECC Newsroom and local media for his work with NECC’s Appledore Island gull banding project as well as his post-NECC career aspirations. Mesta currently works full-time in quality assurance at Andover Healthcare.
ALUMNI BOARD: The following NECC alumni have been inducted as members of the NECC Alumni Board: ELAINE BARKER ’88, SANDRA ROCHON ’96, TRAVIS JACOBS ’98, BEL ANDRICKSON ’14, JOUEL GOMEZ ’15, and KARINA CALDERON ’17.
Northern Essex is in the process of implementing the Integrated Student Experience initiative, which is designed to provide NECC students with a more comprehensive curricular experience. The initiative will include the creation of meta major centers – one for each of NECC’s five overarching academic areas – that will help students of every academic pathway more aptly connect with the resources available to them in their specific majors. The centers will serve as venues for guest speakers, study groups, cohorts, tutoring services, and social events. A meta major center for business and accounting is already operating in the Haverhill Campus Spurk Building.
Join NECC this June for our great upcoming alumni social and immerse yourself in an evening of conversation, food, and fun. All alumni and friends of NECC are welcome.
LAWRENCE: TERRA LUNA CAFÉ | THURSDAY, JUNE 14 | 6 P.M.
Terra Luna is a restaurant/bar with an eclectic menu. Alumni and friends who attend this social will enjoy a night of live music, networking, and hors d’oeuvres. Registration is required.
To sign up or learn more, please visit www.necc.mass.edu/alumni-events.
We hope to see you there!
The Northern Essex community is pleased to announce its second Homecoming event, which will take place on Saturday, October 13 from 12 to 4 p.m. on NECC’s Haverhill Campus. The afternoon is slated to be filled with activities appropriate for people of all ages and will include live music, food, lawn games, an alumni homerun derby, and more.
For the first time, the NECC homecoming will coincide with the college’s annual Campus Classic 5K, which will kick off the day’s schedule at 10 a.m. The Campus Classic, now its sixth year, includes a chip-timed start and finish, courtesy of Bay State Race Services, and awards for top three male and female overall as well as top three by age division.
Registration for the Campus Classic is now open. Please see www.necc.mass.edu/campus-classic for additional details.
In addition to baseball, NECC has seven other varsity sports, including men’s basketball, women’s softball and volleyball, and men’s and women’s cross country and track and field. Come and cheer on the NECC Knights! Check out our teams and schedules at www.necc.mass.edu/athletics