Newsletter Archive

QCC & PHi Theta Kappa Alumnus David P. Lauzon Jr- Recovery Support Specialist

Often true heroes are the people who quietly work behind the scenes helping others. They do this without fanfare and without accolades. The pandemic has brought a spotlight on these people in our community, many of whom are QCC students and alumni. Each month the Wyvern Guardian will be spotlighting one of these remarkable people who chose QCC to assist them on their quest for a better future, and in the process, help us all have a better life.

David P. Lauzon Jr. is a new QCC and Phi Theta Kappa alumnus. He is also a retired veteran. This past May, amid the pandemic, he graduated with both a certificate and associate degree in Human Services, achieving close to a perfect GPA (3.9).  Within two weeks of graduating, he was offered a position with Recovery Centers of America as a Recovery Support Specialist, providing care for individuals recovering from substance abuse issues. 

“I love what I do because it’s helping those who need the help and most of all, want it.  I am a retired disabled veteran.  I had people who were there for me when I got back from Iraq and active duty Army, so this is much more than a job, it’s a way to pay it forward,” he said. “I also have a part-time job working as a Veterans’ Services Officer for the town of West Boylston.  I have been doing this job for two plus years now.”

However, things were not always easy for Mr. Lauzon, as a retired veteran who suffered from PTSD. Initially he began at QCC majoring in engineering and helping out in the Veterans Affairs office.

“The problem I was not dealing with was my case of PTSD,” he said, eventually leaving school for a while, until learning he still had educational benefits he could still use.

He decided to go back to QCC and this time changed his major to human services.

“I realized I was working in the human services field the whole time.  I realized that this is a better fit for me than the engineering I was trying to get into before.  I feel like this has come to me naturally,” he said. “This time around at the college, I was a work study in the Veterans Affairs office.  It was truly a blessing.  I could go there and socialize with fellow veterans and be there for those who needed my assistance.”

Today he is using what he learned at QCC to help those in the field of recovery, while adapting to the new safety protocols brought on by the pandemic.

“I do a lot of meeting with people via Zoom or other viral media sources.  I do meet with some veterans at times, but always with the proper personal protection equipment (PPE).  With the recovery work, I am wearing PPE all day long, sometimes I feel like I am back in the Army wearing my PPE,” he said.

Mr. Lauzon said he is grateful for the educational foundation and support he received from QCC, which enabled him to do what he does best, helping people.

“QCC has given me every chance to be successful in school and now as an alumni.  For the experience and the support, this is the best choice to make...  QCC has the best support services and cares for their students. The whole QCC experience has been a great experience and a very special one.” 

Make sure to read next month’s installment of “QCC’s Frontline Workers – Making a Difference in Our Communities.”

If you know of a QCC frontline worker who should be spotlighted, let us know and email Karen Hutner at khutner [at] qcc.mass.edu.               

After graduating from high school in 2016, Ibeliz Garcia knew Quinsigamond Community College would be her school of choice. She had been dealing with chronic medical issues that made it necessary for her to attend college close to home and QCC fit the bill.

“When I came to QCC I learned about the mentoring program and signed up with my best friend,” Ms. Garcia said.

Hanan Ibraheim is a QCC alumna who went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in mathematics, before landing a job as an insurance analyst at Hanover Insurance Group in Worcester. While she enjoyed her job at Hanover, her love for math made her realize she wanted to share her passion with others and decided to go back to school to become a math teacher.  She also came back to QCC, helping in the  Math Center as a tutor. It was at that time that she learned about the college’s mentoring program.

“I thought this was a good way for me to share my experiences,” she said.

She signed up for the program and was paired with Ms. Garcia. It quickly seemed like a very natural fit for the two. Both women had attended Worcester Public Schools - Ms. Ibraheim went to North High, while Ms. Garica went to Claremont Academy. The two both felt an instant connection on their initial meeting.

“I never had a female connection like this unless it was a family member. It was amazing the bond I had with my mentor. We could communicate about anything,” Ms. Garcia said.

“It just happened naturally. We both come from immigrant families and we are very connected with our families. It was amazing and it got us closer,” Ms. Ibraheim said. “Ibeliz is very good at communicating and putting herself out there. We talk about her experiences and her goals. She has such a positive personality. It makes the relationship very outgoing.”

Both mentor and mentee feel they are learning a lot from the partnership. Ms. Ibraheim stressed the importance of respecting the other person’s cultural beliefs, celebrating the similarities and understanding the differences. Ms. Garcia agreed, adding that respectful questions led to many positive and enlightening conversations.

She said Ms. Ibraheim enabled her to see things in a different way and helped get her out of her comfort zone.

“I am a criminal justice major; however, I also love technology. Hanan helped me to realize I loved to work with computers and I added a second major - Computer Systems Engineering Technology - Computer Forensics,” she said. “I learned from Hanan that it’s OK to take a risk and it’s never too late to change careers and make yourself happy.”

While the pandemic has shifted the way mentors and mentees meet, the mentoring partnerships people have forged have not suffered, as this mentoring partnership demonstrated.

“The first virtual meeting was a bit challenging, so we ended up talking on the phone. The second virtual meeting went great. I’m grateful for the technology,” Ms. Ibraheim said.

This new way of meeting each other is particularly beneficial to the partnership, as Ms. Ibraheim is moving to Michigan to get married, and begin a career in the education field. She feels the relationship will continue from afar.

“I feel like everyone should have a mentor,” Ms. Garcia said. “I learned from Hanan and she learned from me.”

Ms. Ibraheim agrees and encourages more people to consider being a mentor.

“The program is designed to be doable for everyone,” she said. “To leave a lasting impression on someone is an amazing feeling.”

To learn more visit QCC Mentoring.

Mark Hogan has glowing words of praise for Quinsigamond Community College and the Phi Theta Kappa Honor (PTK) Society. The QCC engineering alumnus recently graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and attributed much of his success to the foundation he received at QCC.

“If someone is considering attending QCC they should definitely look into it. It’s not only a great experience and an awesome way to improve yourself as a person, it’s a huge help in improving your life overall. Just having an associate’s degree will open up so many more opportunities that you wouldn’t normally get without having years of experience in a field,” he said.

Mr. Hogan's foray into the engineering world began in 2015, taking classes at QCC as a way to better prepare for his future goal, which was to earn a four-year engineering degree at WPI. He had been out of school for some time and realized that while he wanted to attend WPI, he just wasn’t prepared nor did he have the knowledge, skills, or drive to handle WPI’s rigorous engineering schedule.

“I looked into QCC and talked to Engineering Professor Dadbeh Bigonahy. After doing some figuring out, I knew that QCC was the way to go,” he said.

A former roommate told Mr. Hogan about QCC’s many articulation agreements with colleges and universities, and learned that QCC had this type of agreement with WPI. It made his decision to attend QCC even more attractive.

“I started going part-time, taking three classes while I was working a full-time job as an insurance processor. This meant I had to take night classes, and did so practically the entire time I was at QCC. It wasn’t until the last two or three semesters that I was able to go during the day, as I switched jobs and was able to work from home and make my own schedule,” Mr. Hogan said, adding that he also took two classes each summer (one per semester).

“I left QCC prepared to handle anything that was thrown at me, and believe had I not gone here prior to WPI, I would have not been able to complete my degree. Dadbeh really created rigorous expectations of the engineering students, which were vital to my success. He was instrumental in setting me up for success, as he presented his students with challenges that anyone can overcome, but ones that also have benefits that surpass simply ‘doing well,’” he said.

Mr. Hogan said PTK has also had a huge impact on his life. He described joining PTK as soon as he had enough credits, maintaining a 4.0 almost his entire time at QCC; however, by his own admission he initially wasn't very active in the honor society due to his heavy work and school schedules. A  chance conversation with a PTK officer who was one of his classmates made him realize he should get more involved and he met with PTK Advisor Bonnie Coleman.

“Bonnie definitely has a super power or something because I don’t know anyone else who is that good at rallying people, or it’s just her passion for PTK! I went from an Officer-at-Large to an Executive Team Lead working as a volunteer on the Early Chapter Project, and helping start and co-lead the Burncoat Mentoring program,” he said. “It really got me focused on how to get things done, between school work and projects. It made me a better person overall, and equipped me with skills that I really needed, such as public speaking, decision making, confidence, research, networking, and so many more.”

Once Mr. Hogan graduated from QCC, he transferred to WPI’s engineering program, where he was required to do two large qualifying projects in order to earn his four-year degree. For his first project, he chose to research college greenhouses to help determine what QCC/PTK could do to make sure their next greenhouse was the best it could be, working with two fellow PTK transfer students and another WPI student. His second project involved working as the project manager for a 10-person team, creating a unique application for both patients and staff at a Boston hospital. Similar to Google maps, the application enables people to navigate inside the hospital and other buildings, has handicap accessible features and the ability to change to different languages. The program is particularly valuable, as it is interchangeable with any hospital.

Today he is posed to start a new career and said he is thankful for his time at QCC that brought him full circle in realizing his dream for the future.

“I definitely believe QCC gave me a good foundation. Again, not just as a student but as a person as well. On top of that, QCC gives you the ability to figure out how to learn. The courses aren’t ridiculously hard, and manageable to the point where you can generally take them at your own pace. I really could go on for a long time about how great the school is, how important education is, and just what an amazing time I had going here. Again, I would have gone to QCC for four years if I could have – it’s that great of a school,” he said.

Sometimes our most trusted and valued companions are of the four-legged variety. For some, these amazing dogs have become a person’s eyes, ears, and hands, not to mention best friend. No one knows this better than Kathleen “Kate” O'Connor, program manager for the Center for Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Quinsigamond Community College.

Since 2016, Ms. O’Connor has been part of Canine Companions for Independence®, acting as a puppy raiser for the organization. The non-profit organization is dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs to those in need at no cost.

“With coronavirus/COVID-19, now more than ever people are isolated, particularly those with a compromised immune system. They really rely on these dogs to do everything from getting a cell phone, opening the refrigerator to companionship,” she said.

Dogs have always been a part of Ms. O’Connor’s life; however, with the sad death of her last beloved family dog, she vowed she was done owning a dog. Then the unthinkable happened. A close cousin, Bill Lucey, who grew up in the same neighborhood as she did, had an accident that left him wheelchair bound. To help in navigating his new world after the accident, Mr. Lucey applied for a Canine Companions service dog through the Canine Companions organization, and in August 2016 went to the Canine Companions training center in Long Island, N.Y. to begin team training. Team Training is where the dogs are paired with a graduate during an intensive two-week team training period before going to their forever homes.

“Any family member could attend the graduation and so I went. I ended up falling in love with the organization, its mission, and how life-changing it is to the graduates,” Ms. O’Connor said.

Right then she decided to become a puppy raiser, a role that requires taking an 8-week-old puppy into a person’s home for 18 months to become socialized and learn basic commands. They train four types of assistance dogs to master over 40 specialized commands: Service Dogs, Skilled Companions, Hearing Dogs and Facility Dogs. The dog breeds used include yellow labs, black labs, golden retrievers and golden/lab mixes. In 2017, “Juno,” a yellow lab, became her first puppy and for the following year and a half, she became a part of the O’Connor family.

For 18 months, Juno went everywhere with Ms. O’Connor; even attending work meetings so she could get used to a group setting. All too quickly the time was up and Juno was returned to Long Island to attend professional training, where dogs go for six months after the time is up with their puppy raisers. In May 2019, after completing six months of professional training and the two-week team training, Juno was placed with her graduate, Edith Morris.

“You spend a lot of time with the dogs and love them so much, but you know this is puppy raising and that they must leave to find their forever home,” Ms. O’Connor said, adding, “What is so unique is that the new owner (graduate) gets to meet the puppy raiser and family, and most graduates keep in touch with their puppy raisers.”

While Ms. O’Connor was sad to see the first dog she raised leave, she keeps in touch with Ms. Morris to this day. Ms. O’Connor has gone on to raise two more puppies, Brinley and Lucey (named after her cousin). Brinley has been with her since Sept. 2018 and was due back in Long Island in May, but due to the outbreak of the coronavirus/COVID-19, just returned to Long Island on July 20 to start professional training. Lucey is the new puppy that Ms. O’Connor is now raising.

Currently there are over 400 people on the waiting list to get a dog, with close to 100 in the Northeast region alone. One of the biggest issues the Canine Companions organization faces is raising money to fund the non-profit. In addition to puppy raising, Ms. O’Connor is the current DogFest New England Vice Chair, an online event that is raising funds and awareness for the mission of the organization.

“It’s exciting to see the changes you can make in people’s lives,” she said.

The Quinsigamond Community College Foundation is holding a unique fundraising event to provide scholarships and critical basic needs security to underserved and underrepresented students. Now more than ever, QCC students are in need of assistance and support.

The event, entitled “30 Rounds in 30 Days”, is a golfer's dream.  It features 30 individual prizes, so perhaps it should be called 30 in 30 for 30! The grand prize package includes airfare for two to Las Vegas, Nevada, overnight accommodations at the Marriott Grand Chateau (4 nights), as well as 18 hole golf for two at Cascata Club, considered by some to be the “8th Wonder in the Golfing World.”

Other top prizes in the 30-day raffle include:

• A trip to Naples, Florida that includes airfare and overnight accommodations for three people.
• Golf at The Vineyards Country Club’s two link style and traditional style courses, where challenging play is available for every golfer at every skill level and handicap.
• A getaway to Chatham on Cape Cod that includes overnight accommodations and golfing at Eastward Ho!, considered the finest course on the Cape and named one of the best courses in North America by Golf Digest.

Additional prizes include golf at one of 27 golf courses and clubs across New England to appeal to both the seasoned or beginner golfer.

The raffle is limited to 1,000 tickets, offering excellent odds to win one of 30 prizes. Each ticket is $50. The raffle will begin on September 1, 2020 and end on September 30, 2020. Winning tickets are based on the last three digits of the Massachusetts mid-day daily lottery number.

“By participating in this fundraising event, you are contributing to Central Massachusetts' recovery and economic development. You are helping students complete their college degrees. You are providing basic needs security to make a significant difference in our student's lives,” said QCC Foundation President Dr. Linda Maykel.

To purchase tickets, contact the QCC Foundation at qccfoundation [at] qcc.mass.edu or call Assistant Director of Operations, Shirley Dempsey at 508.854.4520. The deadline to purchase tickets is August 31, 4:00 p.m. No tickets can be sold after this deadline. To learn more, visit QCC.edu/30rounds

E-Sports       

QCC Athletics new egaming team for the League of Legends held its first exhibition game on July 18 against Bunker Hill Community College. The students competed in three matches and while they didn’t come away winners, it was a great opening exhibition game.

“The students had such a good time and they want to play more exhibition games this summer, so we are working on scheduling with Bunker Hill again, Northern Essex Community College and possibly Mass Bay Community College,” said Athletic Director Lisa Gurnick.

This is the first time QCC has had an esports team, which is being coached by QCC’s Learning Manager Nate Mello.

Summer Zoom Yoga    

Are you zooming this summer? Let the stress just fall away from you every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:00 p.m. – 12:40 p.m. and take a free Zoom class with Tammy Chiarizio. This is a great way to relax and enjoy the summer months. For those interested in receiving a Zoom invite, email Ms. Gurnick at lisag [at] qcc.mass.edu

High school graduation is a special time in a student’s life but it’s even more so for those students who have overcome adversity and beat the odds. For 27 students in Quinsigamond Community College’s Gateway to College Program, the dream of graduating from high school became a reality this month and they became a part of the historic Class of 2020. 

The students were part of QCC’s Gateway to College Program that was developed for students between the ages of 16-21, who have dropped out of high school or are at risk of dropping out. Students accepted into the program work on obtaining their high school diplomas, while also simultaneously earning college credits.

Due to the pandemic, this year’s graduating class was unable to hold an in-person graduation ceremony; however, the Gateway staff still wanted to hold some type of special celebration to commemorate the accomplishments of the students.

“Gateway to College has always had a really personal graduation ceremony, and it was something we were all really sad to miss out on this year. Celebrating the accomplishments of our students is a great way to end the school year,” said Senior Gateway Outreach Counselor, Jenna Glazer.

QCC’s Gateway to College Director Marci Skillings came up with the idea of a “Grad 2 Go” graduation celebration that entailed the Gateway staff stopping by each graduates’ homes, taking photos and wishing them well. Prior to the Gateway staff visits, the students were sent caps, gowns, diplomas, and as well as “Class of 2020” masks to make the event feel extra special.

“What’s more personal than Gateway staff coming to your house? All together, we visited 15 of our graduates over six days. I drove 267 miles in total. One day we started at a farm and ended on a lake,” Ms. Glazer said. “High school graduation is something many of us (myself included) took for granted, but for many of our students, it seemed impossible for a long time. It was definitely not the graduation any of us expected but it felt “right,” in the sense that it was very personal and really demonstrated the relationship that we have with our students and how much we care about them. Students and their families were grateful that we took the time to visit everyone. It will be a graduation that we’ll all remember for a long time.”

Despite graduating in the midst of a pandemic and an abrupt shift to remote learning, most of the students graduated with special honors (college GPA over 3.0 or 3.7), a testament to the determination and perseverance of the Gateway students.

Gateway graduate Ninoshka “Nino” Rabell-Santana said the Gateway to College Program was a true gateway to a better life and opportunity for her.

“Being a part of the Gateway to College community made me feel it was OK to not to be perfect. It taught me it was OK to fail in life over and over again until I was finally able to succeed in life,” she said. “Gateway has been such a blessing to me and to everyone in it.”

Each year the graduates are asked to answer a survey. One of the questions posed asked them what the most important thing was that they learned while in the Gateway program. Answers ran the gamut from independence, time management and patience to understanding that their life isn’t over, it’s just beginning.

According to Ms. Skillings, most of the graduates will be staying on at QCC to complete their degrees, while others will be attending Worcester State University or UMass Amherst.

Her sentiment to the graduates is one she hopes they will remember.

“You have all balanced a new normal and graduated in the midst of a pandemic. That is so amazing and we are so proud.  You will always be a part of the Gateway to College family and have a special place in our hearts and here at QCC.  We wish you the best as you head out in a world of unknowns and we know you will succeed because you showed us you could and we believed just as you did.”

Gateway Class of 2020:

• Mary Astorga**
• Nate Berthiahume
• Allyson Bishop*
• Julia Bohan**
• Gabby Boivin*
• Adren Demac**
• Emily Dodge*
• Raykel Dufrense
• Brittney Dziejma**
• William Guenette
• Deborah Holan
• Serena Hughes*
• Brenna King
• Tyler Martinelli*
• Mia Mascitelli**
• Arvid Mikkila*
• Isabella Monserrate*
• Jared Mosely
• John (JT) Phinney**
• Joseph Poirier
• Ninoshka “Nino” Rabell-Santana
• Brandon Roux
• Danielle Ryan
• Saahil Srivastava*
• Tyler Steward*

*Linda Huddle Award winners (GPA over 3.0)

**President’s Award Winners (GPA over 3.7)

For more information on the program visit www.QCC.edu/Gateway.

Many may know Quinsigamond Community College’s Professor of Electronics Engineering Technology, James Heffernan as the professor who made the amazing robotic binary graduation greeting for the Class of 2020 (with some key assistance from his wife Luisa). What many may not know is that for most of his adult life he has been educating students on the transformative powers of technology.

Locally educated in Worcester public schools (he attended Flagg St. Elementary School, Forest Grove Jr. High, and Doherty High School), Mr. Heffernan earned a BA in Mathematics from Assumption College and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. After graduation from both colleges in 1985, he worked as an electrical engineer for Worcester companies Micro Networks and Allegro Microsystems. Then in 1990, he and his wife decided to fulfill a dream and traveled to Ghana, West Africa where they taught school for a year.

“I taught Electrical Principles at Normal Technical Secondary School and my wife taught English part-time. We had our 2-year-old son with us, and our daughter was born while we were there. This was something my wife and I had been planning to do since we were married in 1985. Living some place very different gives you a new perspective on the world. We had a great experience overall, the people were very welcoming, we loved the food, and I learned some of the traditional Ghanaian music,” he said.

Once back in the states, Mr. Heffernan continued to teach, working at Worcester Technical Institute (WTI), a post-secondary technical school that was part of the Worcester Vocational Technical School system. He worked there for eight years before it closed. WTI’s loss was QCC’s gain and in September 1999, he began his teaching career at QCC (in addition to earning a Master’s in Computer Science at Fitchburg State University in 2005).

“I had developed the Electromechanical Technology program at WTI to prepare graduates to work as technicians in high-tech manufacturing. WTI was closed in 1999, and many of the technical programs were brought over to QCC, along with some of the WTI faculty. Electromechanical Technology eventually became Electronics Engineering Technology - Mechatronics Option,” he said.

He said one of reasons he enjoys teaching at QCC is the diversity of students that you often find in a community college setting.

“I like the variety of students that we get - different socio-economic backgrounds, different ethnicities, different ages, etc. The older students have a positive impact on the younger students, and foster a more professional climate. And in the Electronics Engineering Technology labs, I like the fact that we can provide students with an authentic hands-on educational experience,” he said.

Throughout his years at the college, Mr. Heffernan has had many inspiring, compelling and outright funny stories. His favorite one involved a robotic hand, built by one of his students using the QCC Fab lab to 3D print all of the parts for the project.

“The fingers are controlled by a person wearing a glove that has flex sensors on it. I brought the hand to a QCC Open House for recruitment, and while demonstrating it, the middle finger got stuck, so when I closed my hand I was giving everyone the finger. Fortunately, we noticed quickly and were back to normal after a quick soldering job,” he said.

While certainly a funny story, it also demonstrates the amazing advances in the technology world and the growth the industry has seen.

“I am seeing an increasing use of automation and robotics in manufacturing and other areas, and a corresponding increase in demand for technicians that can troubleshoot electronic, electrical and mechanical systems,” he said, noting that over 75 companies in the region are hiring electronics and mechatronics technicians.

He encourages people looking for an exciting career to consider Electronics Engineering Technology and QCC.

“QCC offers a path to an exciting career that pays well, without getting saddled with large college loans. We have been seeing an increasing demand for 2-year technical graduates. And many companies will reimburse students that continue their education,” he added.

When not teaching students, Mr. Heffernan is busy playing keyboards in a few local bands (you might have heard him play in the QCC Faculty Jazz Ensemble; dancing salsa or swing with his wife; or camping, hiking, backpacking or running in the woods with his faithful dog Bo).  

Wyvern nation’s roots run deep in the Murphy family. Since the early 80s when Accounting Professor Carol Murphy was a part-time student at Quinsigamond Community College, the college has been a part of their lives. Today, Ms. Murphy is an adjunct professor at the College, her daughter-in-law is an alum and her grandson is a current engineering student at QCC.

“I am so, so happy they took advantage of this college. People care here, they want you to succeed as a student and a professional,” she said.

For Ms. Murphy, the path to QCC and higher education came later in life.

“In high school I attended a college prep school and at the end of sophomore year was told ‘I was not college material,’ so I transferred to a school with business courses.  I absolutely loved my bookkeeping course; just couldn't get enough of it. It made sense to me. After graduating high school, I became a full charge bookkeeper in the business world,” she said.

Eventually Ms. Murphy left that world, started a family and had two sons. Once they were in preschool, she began thinking about working part-time.

“Two friends, in one week, asked why I didn't go to college to get paid more for what I knew,” she said.

A light bulb went off and at the age of 32, she decided to try a couple of courses. 

After starting at Worcester State, she realized she needed more flexibility and decided to attend QCC, because it was the perfect fit for her schedule.

“Plus my husband graduated from QCC years before and had been successful,” she added.

She ended up taking two courses a semester at QCC, then transferring to Assumption College where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in accounting, at the age of 40. While attending college, she also worked as an accounting tutor in QCC’s learning center and said she loved helping students understand the courses. It was the start of a lifetime love affair of learning.

“I started in graduate school in the Nichols MBA program and asked if I could teach a course to see if I liked it,” she said, adding that when she was given the opportunity to teach she “loved it.”

She taught as an adjunct professor at QCC for a few years before applying and being hired for a full-time position in 2000. It would be a position she would hold until 2017, before going back to being an adjunct professor.

Ms. Murphy’s daughter-in-law Nicole Murphy is also a QCC alum, having come to QCC looking to advance her nursing career at Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center.

“My mother-in-law has always been a strong advocate for QCC. She is aware of how flexible the schedules can be to meet your other priorities in life while still maintaining a degree.  It gave me a sense of pride when instructors knew she was my mother-in-law. I have been at my workplace for over 20 years and I always appreciate dedication and a long history at a career. It is special to me to now be part of that with her,” Nicole Murphy said, adding “With my career and family the flexibility was key to my success.”

Nichole Murphy’s son, Devon Bruyer, has also found QCC to be the perfect place to begin his future, a fact that comes as no surprise to both mother and grandmother.

“My mother-in-law and I both felt QCC was a good fit for Devon. He is not the type to sit in a class five days a week, which is why he went to a trade school. We both know he will come out with a great degree but can also continue to work in his field for real life practice. It also makes me very happy he is still home with us,” Nicole Murphy said.

Mr. Bruyer said he researched many schools with his grandmother before deciding on QCC.

“I find QCC to be more diverse and open to the community. Most of the students feel equal with each other. QCC is close to home and an affordable option. I have seen how successful my grandmother and mother are in life. I am proud to follow in their footsteps while earning my degree,” he said. “It is a great place to get your degree, especially if you want to live at home and work in the community. QCC offers a wide variety of options to work with everyday life. “

Carol Murphy sums it up for those considering attending QCC.

“We have it all, try us out, you won't be sorry!”

Earlier this month, QCC’s Summer I session began. Classes are being offered remotely and to support students, the QCC Tutoring Center, which encompasses the General Academic Areas Tutoring Center, Math Center, and Writing Center will also be offering its services remotely. Students have access to one-on-one and group tutoring through Blackboard Collaborate and Zoom, as well as receiving support as needed via email.

The General Academic Areas Tutoring Center is a tutoring and student resource center that provides appointment-based tutoring sessions in a variety of academic subjects that are now being delivered on the Zoom platform.

Students have the option of individual one-on-one tutoring, small group tutoring, or they can choose both options. In individual tutoring students work one-on-one with a tutor to help clarify course content, work through problem areas, and enhance study skills. Group tutoring offers students the option to work with a tutor and up to three classmates. In a group tutoring session, students can learn different approaches to a particular problem, assignment, or course content from their classmates as well as the tutor.

For information on subjects, hours, and how to join a session, students should visit GAA website. For questions, email: gaa [at] qcc.mass.edu.

QCC’s Math Center’s remote tutoring provides math resources in an individual or group remote setting. The goal of tutoring is to help students strengthen math and study skills by reinforcing classroom and online learning. QCC math tutors can assist with exercise sets and examples from course textbooks, with similar questions from Pearson - MyLab Math, McGraw-Hill - Connect, and Cengage - WebAssign homework assignments. Tutors can also help students navigate the course website, textbooks and e-texts, videos, and Blackboard. The Math Center offers both individual and small-group tutoring sessions via Blackboard Collaborate.

Math tutoring sessions are held Monday – Thursday from 10:00 a.m.– 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.– 7:00 p.m., and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. For information on hours and how to join a session, students should visit the Math Center website. For questions, email MathCenter [at] qcc.mass.edu or call  508.854.7523.

QCC’s Writing Center offers individual and small-group tutoring sessions, as well as drop-in workshops, via Blackboard Collaborate and Zoom. The Writing Center is a tutoring and student resource center for writing, as well as those skills integral to the writing process, including reading comprehension, critical thinking, planning, and organization. Students can work with a tutor on their writing, reading, and study skills for any course. For information on hours and how to join a session or workshop, students should visit the Writing Center website. For questions, email WCInfo [at] qcc.mass.edu or call 508.854.4287

Additional Online Tutoring is available through ThinkingStorm. This online tutoring service offers live, on-demand tutoring in a variety of subjects. This free service is available to all current QCC students and can be accessed through the online tutoring link in students’ Blackboard course shell dashboard.

Email TutoringCenters [at] qcc.mass.edu (Tutoring Centers) for general questions.

E-Sports       

QCC Athletics new E-gaming team for the League of Legends has gotten underway. The highly competitive, fast paced, action-strategy game is designed for those who crave a hard fought victory. League of Legends is a team-based strategy game where two teams of five powerful champions face off to destroy the other’s base. Nate Mello, learning manager for Interactive Media Design, as well as a part-time faculty member, is coaching this year’s inaugural team. Practice is currently underway with the goal of participating in exhibition games later this summer.

"We meet on a program called Discord. It is an app that is used in the gaming community. It is integrated well with League of Legends as you can see all the people in the Discord Chat room you are talking to on the screen while playing," said Coach Mello. "We have been meeting Mondays and Wednesday nights for practice, mostly against other people playing the game around the country, but if we get more players that want to play on a regular basis, we will be able to host practices against each other."

There is still time to be a part of the team! Those interested in playing can email Athletic Director Lisa Gurnick, lisag [at] qcc.mass.edu. Interested students must be enrolled at least part-time in the Fall semester and full-time (12 credits or more) in the Spring semester. A valid (within a year) physical form and a GPA of 2.0 or higher are required in order to play.

“We plan on playing a couple of exhibition games this summer against Bunker Hill and Mass Bay Community College. Scrimmages in the Fall will be against Bunker Hill, Mass Bay, Northern Essex, Bristol and a few other MA community colleges, as well as other colleges in our NJCAA Region XXI conference,” Ms. Gurnick said.

Summer Zoom Yoga    

Get your zen on this summer with Summer Zoom Yoga! Flow into the summer months beginning on July 2. Sessions will take place every Tuesday and Thursday starting at noon.

If you are interested in getting the Zoom invite, email lisag [at] qcc.mass.edu

Outstanding Student Athlete Award 

QCC’s Women’s Soccer Wyvern, Haley Gordan received the Outstanding Student Athlete Award at the Honors and Awards presentation in May. During Haley’s two years of participation with the QCC Wyvern’s Soccer program she has demonstrated remarkable perseverance and tremendous growth, according to QCC’s Women’s Soccer Coach Josh Cole.

“Haley is someone who will always find a way to push through adversity and does it with a positive attitude,” Coach Cole added.  

Congratulations to Uxbridge High School Principal Mike Rubun, who was named High School Principal of the Year by the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA). Additionally, Uxbridge High School was named a 2020 Best High School, based on rankings that U.S. News & World Report published in late April, 2020. Over 24,000 public high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia were reviewed and 18,000 were ranked.

QCC’s Gateway to College is in partnership with Uxbridge High School and graduates of the Gateway program receive their high school diplomas though a partnership with the high school.

“We are fortunate to be partnered with a school system with such passionate educators,” said QCC’s Gateway to College Director Marci Skillings.