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QCC Student Honored in 29 Who Shine Ceremony

Contact: Karen Hutner
Office of Institutional Communications
khutner [at] qcc.mass.edu
 

Release Date: 
5/13/2021

WORCESTER, MA—May 13, 2021 — Today, May 13, at the 10th Annual “29 Who Shine” Ceremony, Quinsigamond Community College Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) student Fatima Mohammed, of Worcester, will join 28 other public college and university graduates, to be honored virtually by Governor Charlie Baker and higher education leaders in a Live YouTube ceremony at 2 p.m.

Each year, these awards are given to one student from each of the Commonwealth’s 29 public campuses, including the 15 community colleges, nine state universities and five campuses of the University of Massachusetts. This year, the 29 graduates are being honored for their resilience in the face of pandemic-related challenges and their willingness to pitch in and support COVID-19 relief efforts, while working to earn their degrees.

Ms. Mohammed played an essential role with QCC’s COVID-19 health team, assisting with student surveillance testing during the Spring 2021 semester, working multiple volunteer shifts each week, and acting as a mentor and advisor to new volunteers.

“Fatima has been volunteering her time during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to keep our college community safe. Her dedication to her fellow students, while maintaining the highest academic standards is inspiring. We are honored to have her as a member of our QCC community,” said QCC President Luis G. Pedraja, Ph.D.

Currently majoring in Liberal Arts, Ms. Mohammed will be graduating from QCC later this month with an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts. She plans to continue her education at the Mass College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) in fall 2021. She has received a $10,000 merit scholarship from MCPHS, based on her academic qualifications, for the entire 16 consecutive months of the program.  After earning her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene, she plans to continue her education to earn a Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry.  Ms. Mohammed said she hopes to continue helping others in her future career in dentistry, caring for and educating low-income families about dental care.

“Ten years from now, the letter grades of the ‘29 Who Shine’ won’t matter. What we will remember is their commitment to their communities in a time of crisis,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Our public colleges and universities educate homegrown Massachusetts natives – people who are here to learn, and here to stay. They have shown how much they care about where they come from, how much they care about us, and how much they will contribute to the civic and economic future of our Commonwealth.”

For more information about QCC, contact Josh Martin, Director of Institutional Communications at 508.854.7513 or jmartin [at] qcc.mass.edu

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Quinsigamond Community College is the most affordable higher education in Worcester County. As a regional leader in education and workforce development, QCC serves the diverse educational needs of Central Massachusetts by providing affordable, accessible, and high quality programming leading to transfer, career, and lifelong learning.

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