NSCC Alumni news - Fall 2013

Fall

2013

Published by the Alumni Office at North Shore Community College

Congratulations

Class of 472013!

NORTH SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE HELD ITS THIS MAY, conferring over 1,000 associate degrees and certificates to graduates of the Class of 2013.

This year’s commencement was bittersweet, as it was the last for retiring President Wayne Burton and Vice President of Academic Affairs Paul Frydrych. Dr. Burton led NSCC for the past 13 years, while Paul Frydrych’s distinguished career spanned 42 years.

TH

“I believe with all of my heart, that every single graduate here tonight owes thanks to one another for the individual accomplishments we are celebrating together this evening.”

— Nick Lovasco, 2013 student commencement speaker.

This year’s commencement speaker was NSCC Professor Emeritus John Nelson, an English professor for 31 years who, after retirement, became a member and three-time Chair of NSCC’s Board of Trustees.

The student speaker was Nick Lovasco, a graduate of the Liberal Arts Honors Program.

Nick graduated with a near-perfect grade point average, was President of NSCC’s Student Government Association, Student Trustee and was very active in many campus and charitable activities. Nick was recognized this spring as NSCC’s representative for the Massachusetts “29 Who Shine” ceremony which highlights one student from each of the state’s public colleges for their academic excellence and community service.

COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

2013 Distinguished Alumnus Award

Each year at commencement, NSCC’s Alumni Association Board presents the Distinguished Alumnus Award to a graduate whose professional and personal achievements bring honor to themselves and the College. The recipient of this year’s award was Sherri Raftery, a 2009 graduate of the Substance Abuse Counseling Program. Sherri’s commitment to helping others, her passion for education, and leadership by example are some of the ways she has distinguished herself as an example of excellence (for more on Sherri, see page 2).

Sherri is pictured below  receiving the 2013 Distinguished Alumnus Award from NSCC Alumni Association Board Vice President “Sully” Sullivan ‘97.

Supporting Students with

Annual Fund 2014 As Thanksgiving approaches, it is time for NSCC’s Annual Fund campaign to support students. As always, alumni support is absolutely critical and your participation is greatly appreciated.

One of this year’s priorities will be the SAVE fund, which stands for Short-Notice Aid for Verifiable Emergencies. It is a program born of necessity to assist students who encounter unanticipated non-academic financial crises in the areas of housing, utilities, transportation and childcare - financial emergencies that can jeopardize academic success.

For example, last spring, a fire on Lewis Street in Lynn left 40 people homeless, including several NSCC students. These students had immediate needs beyond housing that had to be met if they

were to stay in school: clothing, food, replacements for books and school supplies. Without assistance, these unexpected expenses could certainly derail education plans. The SAVE fund helps with grants or short-term, interest-free loans, allowing students to stay in school and change their future.

Your support allows us to respond to the needs of our students. From merit-based scholarships to assistance when our students face serious crises, every gift is critical in helping a student succeed. Thank you for your participation and support of this year’s Annual Fund.  To donate online, go to

www.northshore.edu/ giving

Graduating class of 2013 LIBERAL STUDIES

SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS

11%

BUSINESS SCIENCES

23%

18% HUMAN SERVICES

26%

HEALTH PROFESSIONS

22%

BUSINESS SCIENCES HEALTH PROFESSIONS HUMAN SERVICES LIBERAL STUDIES SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS

TOTAL GRADUATES

268 GRADUATES 256 302 213 132 1171

Celebrating the Circle of Community HONORING RETIRED PRESIDENT WAYNE BURTON RETIRING PRESIDENT WAYNE BURTON was honored in June with a fundraising event held by the NSCC Foundation at the Hellenic Center in Ipswich. The dinner event was an opportunity for friends, colleagues, community and business partners to honor Wayne while supporting the NSCC Presidential Scholars, a program close to his heart. The Presidential Scholars program offers scholarships and leadership development training to high school students coming to NSCC. Named a Program of Distinction by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education in 2008, the Presidential Scholars program recognizes high academic achievement and community service, and provides these students with not only financial support, but academic and personal mentoring while they attend NSCC. Participants have opportunities to attend events and activities to enrich their college experience while serving as ambassadors for NSCC and the President’s Office. President Burton’s retirement event raised $53,394 and 100% of the funds will support The Wayne Burton Presidential Scholars, as the program was renamed on the evening of the dinner in honor of our retired president’s commitment to creating student leaders.

Named NSCC Interim President

ALUMNI FRIENDS

&

WINE TASTING AT ALFALFA FARMS NSCC’S ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD hosted an Alumni & Friends wine tasting event at Alfalfa Farm Winery in Topsfield this spring. The event was held to honor NSCC President Wayne Burton and Vice President of Academic Affairs Paul Frydrych, thanking them for their many years of service and leadership and wishing them all the best in their retirement. All proceeds from the fun and well-attended event went toward future Alumni Scholarships.

At the event, the newly established and student-run NSCC Burton & Frydrych Community Garden was revealed. The garden was dedicated to Paul and Wayne in recognition of their and education on campus, in their personal lives and supporting these efforts in student activities and clubs. Students from the Environmental Club were present to discuss the

was presented with a gift

garden with event attendees. The garden plot was generously

from the Alumni Association

donated by NSCC Professor Richard Adelman, whose family

Board by board member

owns Alfalfa Farm.

Luz Garay, left. Luz recalled friendly manner and his tireless advocacy for the college and its students.

NSCC SCHOLARSHIP BREAKFAST 2013

Sherri Raftery is a 2009 graduate of NSCC’s Substance Abuse Counseling Program. She also holds a B.S. in Performing Arts and Communication from Emerson College and an M.A. in Education, Arts & Learning from Endicott College.

She is passionate about education and volunteers as an Education Surrogate Parent for students in the care of the state’s Children & Family Services. She is also a Board of Ambassadors spokesperson for Boston’s Home for Little Wanderers, a place that she called home as a preteen.

Sherri Raftery Class of 2009

As someone who has been there herself, she understands how important it is for children to have support and someone who believes in them. She recalls the Home as critical to her youth and says it allowed her to access education and opportunities that she would not otherwise have had.

Sherri has a speaker’s business called Helping You Take Center Stage! and is a District Governor for the Toastmasters organization. In addition to her many volunteer activities she works with the East Boston Chamber of Commerce.

Sherri’s commitment to education, children and her community are some of the ways that she has distinguished herself as an example of excellence. Congratulations Sherri, NSCC’s 2013 Distinguished Alumnus Award winner.  For more about Sherri Raftery, visit: northshore.edu/alumni

NSCC Sponsors Lynn Museum’s Exhibit The Way We Worked

 For more about Janice Forsstrom, visit:

The Way We Worked is a Smithsonian Institution exhibition touring Massachusetts in collaboration with Historic New England and is funded by a grant from the Lynn Cultural Council.

northshore.edu/alumni Forsstrombringsbroadbasedexpertiseinresource planning and management including finance, strategic planning, information technology and administrative systems, and facilities planning.

She started at NSCC in 1974 and worked in a variety of increasingly responsible positions before being named VP in 2003. She oversees NSCC’s $50 million annual operating budget and its four campus locations, including Danvers/Hathorne (Essex Aggie), Lynn, and the Institute for Corporate Training in Beverly.

Board member and Alumni

Janice Forsstrom,

Trustee Lesley Peters, right,

Interim President on left,

For information contact the Lynn Museum at director@lynnmuseum.org

Annual Paralegal Employment Panel

Interim Vice President of

with a gift from the Alumni

Academic Affairs on right.

Association Board, expressing gratitude for his many

Maureen O’Neill

years of leadership and the

From left to right: Wayne Burton, Bryan Ring, Denis Ring, Robert Ring, scholarship recipient Grier Shute and NSCC Foundation President Joseph Riley.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS YEAR’S Scholarship Breakfast included several new scholarships, bringing the total number to 181 scholarships awarded, totaling $147,000. Among the scholarships introduced this year was the Mary Ring Memorial Scholarship, established by NSCC grad Bryan Ring and family in memory of their mother.

The family started this scholarship as a way to honor her and said it was in perfect alignment with the way she lived her life- working hard and acknowledging the hard work of others, helping others, beginning with those in your own community, and “paying it forward.” Bryan said that establishing this scholarship was very cathartic to healing and moving on from their loss while remembering and honoring all of the positive qualities of their mother.

Bryan Ring is a 2005 graduate of NSCC’s Nurse Education program and is an emergency room nurse at Beverly Hospital, a job he says he loves. It was his mother who encouraged him to consider this field, something “he’d never thought of doing but now can’t imagine doing anything else.”

He was an EMT and intended to be a firefighter, but it was a bad time for hiring in that field. His mother suggested he go back to school, specifically for nursing, recognizing qualities in him that made him well-suited to the field and aspects of the job that would fulfill what he was looking for in a career.

Named Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs MAUREEN O’NEILL has been named Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs, replacing Paul Frydrych who retired after 42 years at the college. O’Neill will serve as interim VP until a new President is hired and can lead a search for a permanent replacement of this key position.

O’Neill has served as Dean of Liberal Studies at NSCC since 1994, providing academic and administrative leadership for that division. She has supervised grants such as the U.S. Department of Labor grant, the Massachusetts Department of Education transition-to-college grant for GED students, and FIPSE funded program for transitioning adults to higher education and careers and serves on reaccreditation teams for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

 For more about Bryan Ring, visit:

northshore.edu/alumni

“I am very honored to have been chosen to be Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs. I am excited to have the opportunity to support our faculty and other academic leaders in offering excellent education here at North Shore Community College. Paul Frydrych established a culture of excellence which I intend to continue. NSCC is proud to be the first step in higher education for approximately 8,000 credit students and as many corporate learners and noncredit students on the North Shore,” O’Neill said.

“Immigrant Voices: We the People” explored the contributions of immigrants to the US economy with guest experts from the Immigrant Learning Center and the Massachusetts Immigrant

NSCC’s annual Paralegal Employment Panel will be held on Wednesday, November 11, 2013 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM on the Danvers campus. Graduates of NSCC’s paralegal program will discuss their career path following graduation. This event is free and open to the public. For more information or to register contact Sandy Rochon at 978 762-4000, ext 5481 or srochon@northshore.edu.

NSCC’s Alumni Association Board

welcomes new members

Interested in getting involved with NSCC? Graduates from any program, any year are welcome to find out more about volunteering with our board for events, scholarship fundraising and activities to support students and the college. Upcoming meeting dates are 11/4/13, 2/3/14, 3/3/14. For more info contact Alumni Coordinator Sandy Rochon at 978 762-4000 ext 5481 or srochon@northshore.edu.

L-R: Diana Kerry from NSCC’s Public Policy Institute, Dr . Marcia

 For more about Maureen O’Neill,

Drew Hohn of the Immigrant Learning Center in Malden, Jeffrey

visit: northshore.edu/alumni

Gross of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, NSCC’s Director of Development Tatiana Espinal, health science student Yonerky Santana, early childhood education student Rosmery Hernandez and Forum on Tolerance Chair

31st Forum on Tolerance NSCC’s 31st Forum on Tolerance was held on October 3, 2013 at the Lynn Campus gym. The topic of the fall forum was “Immigrant Voices: We the People.”

The college is proud to be a sponsor of this traveling exhibition on our country’s labor and work history which will be on display at the Lynn Museum from October 12- December 1, 2013.

Drawn from the National Archives’ unparalleled photographic collections, The Way We Worked explores work in American culture and traces the evolution of a workforce shaped by the American dreams of equality and freedom. The Lynn Museum will add focused elements of Lynn labor and unions, filling both floors of the Museum with labor history.

and Maureen O’Neill,

presented Paul Frydrych

individual students.

2013 Distinguished Alumnus Award Winner SHERRI RAFTERY ‘09

“I’ve been fortunate to be part of the tremendous growth of North Shore Community College and blessed with the many colleagues and friendships developed over time - it’s a wonderful place to work, I love the people and challenges, and am truly excited for the role that will prepare us for the transition to a new President later this year!” Forsstrom said.

Alumni Association

personal interest he took in

Alumni Corner

JANICE FORSSTROM has been named Interim President of North Shore Community College.

Forsstrom, who has worked at the college for 39 years and most recently was Vice President of Administration and Finance, has led NSCC since President Wayne Burton’s retirement and will continue until a new President is hired and onboard. The college has conducted a nationwide Presidential Search and anticipates finalizing the process this fall.

support of sustainability efforts, environmental stewardship

President Wayne Burton

Wayne’s open door policy,

Janice Forsstrom

UPCOMING EVENTS

and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA). The forum also featured personal stories from undocumented people turned political activists, as well as a legal expert from Neighborhood Legal Services discussing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). This free event was open to the public and was co-sponsored

by NSCC’s Public Policy Institute.

Professor Sheldon Brown.

One Ferncroft Road • Danvers, MA 01923-0840 978-762-4000 • 781-593-6722

www.northshore.edu

JULIE HOWLAND-’91 BOB KOHN-’79 ROB LANDAU-’74 KIM MARINO-’09 MARY ANN MURRAY-’90

WRITERS/EDITORS

DONNA ROSATO-’03

STAFF

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

SANDRA ROCHON

MARY DENNESEN-’84 LUZ GARAY-’08

Alumni Coordinator

NSCC MEDIA DEPARTMENT NANCY BARKER-’10 KURT EDDY-’88 HOT SHOTS MICHAEL SPERLING

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD JUDI GENTLEMAN – ’96 President

GERARD “SULLY” SULLIVAN-’97 Vice President

LESLEY PETERS-’97 Alumni Trustee Alumni News is published for NSCC alumni and friends by the Alumni Office, North Shore Community College, 1 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA, 01923. News, photos and event listings are welcome subject to editor approval. Please send to: srochon@northshore.edu • Telephone: 978-762-4000, x5481

Secretary

EJYO KATAGIRI Marketing & Communications

CORPORATE & COMMUNITY EDUCATION

North Shore businesses can now accelerate productivity with high quality, customized training.

We are very happy to offer discount vouchers to our grads taking noncredit courses. Noncredit courses range from career programs and professional development to personal enrichment classes. Complete course listings can be found at http://community.northshore.edu

North Shore Community College’s Institute for Corporate Training & Technology has changed its name to Corporate Training Solutions© to keep pace with the evolving world of workforce development and to provide employer training programs that build employee talent, improve performance, and increase productivity.

NSCC can help you sharpen your career skills.

We asked and businesses responded.

North Shore Community College’s new group contract training programs through Corporate Training Solutions© offer responsive, resultsoriented, and experienced trainers, making Corporate Training Solutions© the ideal partner for training and workforce development needs on Boston’s North Shore. “In HR, our goal is to foster leadership. North Shore Medical Center believes the customized

Alumni discounts can even be used for your children taking Kids to College or North Shore Academy courses! For more information on kids and young teens programs like Health and Fitness, Photography, Babysitting and more see http://community.northshore.edu/youth_programs

management program through CTS far exceeded provided managers with the skills to be confident leaders and has contributed to our culture of excellence.”

– Arthur Bowes

CONTACTS

Senior Vice President Human Resources

Division of Corporate & Community Education

North Shore Medical Center

Lisa Higgins, 978-236-1200 higgins@northshore.edu

Customized group contract training programs

Offered through our Corporate Training Solutions area Helene VanDernoot at 978-236-1207 or Voucher Information Elaine Champagne at 978-236-1206 Alumni Coordinator, Sandy Rochon, 978-762-4000 x5481 srochon@northshore.edu http://corporate.northshore.edu Nancy Tracy, 978-236-1232 ntracy@northshore.edu

Popular training topics at-a-glance • Customer service • Human resources • Language skills • Management • Marketing

• Sales • Software applications • Teambuilding • Technical training • Time management

PROGRAMS FOR KIDS AND TEENS

Dual Enrollment programs for high school students

NSCC offers a Dual Enrollment Program that allows high school and homeschooled students to earn college credits. Day, evening, weekend and online courses are available and students have access to all academic and support services including academic advising, career counseling, free tutoring, computer labs, and library access.

For more information contact NSCC’s Dual Enrollment Coordinator Michele Harris, 978-762-4000 x4051, mharris@northshore.edu. community.northshore.edu

our expectations. It has

Programs for Kids and Teens

SANDRA ROCHON SUSAN ANDERSON NANCY BARKER-’10 LINDA BRANTLEY

NSCC Alumni Insurance Savings Our grads can receive a discount on home and auto insurance through Liberty Mutual’s alumni affinity program. For info on the Group Saving Plus program and a free quote to see how much you can save call 1-800-225-8281 and identify yourself as an alum of North Shore Community College.