Newsletter Archive

Not snow or sleet or canceled school days could keep away Quinsigamond Community College’s Campus Police from filling their cruiser full to overflowing with unwrapped toys at the College’s annual Stuff-A-Cruiser event. Once again thanks to the generosity of those in the QCC community who came out in droves to help those in need, the holidays will be just a little bit brighter for QCC students and their families.

QCC’s Campus Police, led by “Blue Santa” aka in Detective Sargent Joseph Cecchi, accepted donations of unwrapped toys and monetary donations to benefit the College’s Feed Our Family initiative (formally known as Feed A Family) at each QCC location.

A QCC cruiser was stuffed approximately four times with toys, and $350.00 in cash and gift cards. QCC’s Police Academy students also contributed by donating toys as a group to the Stuff-A-Cruiser event.

“It is so gratifying to see the support the Stuff-A-Cruiser event receives each year. This event is one we all look forward to each year and one that brings out the very best in our QCC community,” said Chief Kevin Ritacco. “We thank everyone for their generous donations.”

This year’s donations will help over 40 QCC families. 

"I hope this event was as enjoyable for you as it was for me.This year was a very special event even for me, as my wife and our three-month-old son, 'Ashton Cole Cecchi' donated to the event and spent some time with Blue Santa. However, the true joy came from all the students, parents, faculty and all the children, including my own, who I encountered during these events," said Detective Sargent Cecchi."Your gracious giving and community support has sustained and enhanced this wonderful QCC tradition of Stuff-A-Cruiser for four years and Feed-a-Family for over 31 years. Thank you for your help."

Each year since she graduated from Quinsigamond Community College, Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) alumna Jacqui Viar has given back to her alma mater by knitting and crocheting hats for QCC students. The 2017 accounting graduate came to QCC after transferring from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and was an active member of the PTK Alpha Zeta Theta Honor Society.

Earlier this month she stopped by the PTK office to drop off a bagful of hats to warm the hearts and heads of QCC students in need during the cold weather months.

“Jacqui was the PTK recording secretary from 2016-2017 and was always there to help out. Even today, she still thinks of how she can help our students,” PTK Advisor Bonnie Coleman said, adding, “The beautiful hats she made were distributed in the Food Pantry and Resource Center and many students left happy and a little bit warmer this winter season.”

Make sure to check out the January 2020 Wyvern Guardian newsletter to learn more about alumna Jacqui Viar.

Every once in a while you come across a basketball player who is special. Names like NBA legend LeBron James or WNBA phenom Tamika Catchings come to mind as those once in a lifetime players, but did you know Quinsigamond Community College has its own rising basketball star? First year Lady Wyvern basketball player Devine “Dee Dee” Johnson has been tearing up the basketball court this season with her talent and basketball finesse. Since the start of the season, the freshman point guard and team captain, has been a standout for her playing ability and her poise on and off the court.

According to Lady Wyverns Head Coach Andrew “Andy” Kupec, Ms. Johnson is a strong leader who brings excitement and leadership to the team.

“Dee Dee is having a great season. She’s really helped us. She’s been a great captain, dedicated and patient,” Mr. Kupec said.

On December 7, Ms. Johnson took the Lady Wyverns to their first victory racking up an astounding 50 points (an unofficial school record) in an away game against the Lady Tigers of Roxbury Community College. QCC come out on top, 72-66.

“I knew I scored a lot of points, but not 50. They tried to double-team me, she said, adding, “They did that in high school. All you’d hear was ‘get on number two.’”

This isn’t the only double-digit game Ms. Johnson has had in recent weeks. In the December 5 game against Springfield Technical Community College, she scored 38 points. She’s been such a standout that a scout for Worcester State University talked to her after the game.

“She carries the offense, which is a hard thing to do,” Mr. Kupec said. “Dee Dee can play after here at a four-year school for sure.”

This year’s women’s basketball team is a young team, with a few players who have never played the game. They look to Ms. Johnson for guidance.

“I like to stay positive and motivate them,” she said.

“We are trying to build a team and Dee Dee is excellent in helping us with that goal,” Mr. Kupec said.

A lifelong basketball player, who comes from a family of 10 siblings (she is the second to the youngest) with a father who was a star ball player, Ms. Johnson has had a basketball in her hands from a very young age. She attended Keefe Technical High School in Framingham, where she excelled in sports, particularly basketball. She made varsity all four years starting as either shooting guard or point guard. She also was on the school’s varsity track and volleyball teams.

After graduating high school Ms. Johnson was accepted to Florida State University and Johnson and Wales for culinary arts; however, she ultimately decided to hold off going to college for a while. In fall 2019, she enrolled at QCC as a criminal justice major.

“I had wanted to do something in the criminal justice field. At first I thought police officer or EMT, then learned about teen corrections and decided I wanted to help teens. I’ve seen kids who have encountered hard times and I want to help them do better,” she said.

When asked why basketball is such an important part of her life, Ms. Johnson said, “It’s something that keeps your mind off other things and I just love the game.”

For those who might want to play for the Lady Wyverns, she suggests giving it a try.

 “It’s better to see if like it than to never know,” she said.

To learn more about the women’s basketball team, visit QCC Student Athletics.

Fun festivities, food and friendship were on tap at the recent Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society Faculty and Staff Appreciation event held on December 6. Faculty and staff were treated to a variety of holiday treats, as they were entertained by live musical performances by PTK students Chris Baker, Alyssa Durham, Krystle Bedrick and Yozue Davila. The annual appreciation event is hosted each year by the PTK students who pull out all the stops to thank the college community.

QCC’s PTK Alpha Zeta Theta chapter is an active chapter that was chartered in 1980. PTK students work throughout the year on community service projects that have a positive and lasting impact on QCC and the surrounding communities the College serves. Currently there are 819 active PTK members and 86 active alumni members who work on projects throughout the year. One of the recent and exciting initiatives set for 2020 is a new Live and Learn Greenhouse that will expand the produce being grown in the current greenhouse exponentially.

“We want to thank everyone for their dedication to the success of the students at QCC. The support and encouragement the students have received throughout the year is greatly appreciated,” said PTK Advisor Bonnie Coleman.

Quinsigamond Community College Psychology Professor Maura Stickles was recently named to the YOU, Inc. Board of Directors. You, Inc.’s mission is to provide youth and families with opportunities to fulfill their potential and build a brighter future. The longstanding college professor was voted onto the board in October of this year and will serve for three years.

Ms.Stickles is a former acute clinician who worked with adolescents and children before coming to work at QCC. Through that role she was already extremely familiar with the YOU, Inc. organization and felt a kinship to its mission. So when the organization’s interim president and, CEO Paula Aiello, reached out to her about serving on the board, she jumped at the opportunity. It was a request that had come at the perfect time in Ms. Stickles life, aligning perfectly with with her mission of servicing adolescents and children in the Central Massachusetts community.

“It was a nice fit (in my life) and all the pieces came together. It’s a neat way to give back and it compliments my work at the College,” she said. “It’s really important to me to give back.”

Ms. Stickles has been a part of QCC for the better part of 27 years, since she walked through the doors as an adjunct professor.

“I was an adjunct for four years before becoming full-time,” she noted.

Ms.Stickles teaches "Abnormal Psychology and Theories of Personality." Her teaching style is one of giving examples, rather than just book learning. She said using examples from her past has helped her students learn concepts in easier way. She feels that being a part of the YOU, Inc. Board can only help to enhance her teachings at QCC.

“This seems to be an active board that is very connected to the Worcester community. YOU, Inc. is helping guide and direct over 15,000 children and families in Central Massachusetts,” she said. “Right now I’m doing a lot of listening and learning. While this experience is different, it broadens my sense of behavioral and mental health services and that can only help my students. This all feels very connected.”

While being a college professor and being on an active board would seem to be more than enough for one person, Ms. Stickles is also a certified tennis professional at the Greendale Family Branch YMCA. She is the lead pro for junior development, working there in her off hours and during the summer.

“This all comes back to my love for children and adolescents and being a mentor. This is really important to me,” she said, noting that sports such as tennis teach important life skills. “How do we define mental toughness? There’s no quick fix, you have to work at it and commit to it.”

While there is no easy road to success or happiness, she often shares her personal thoughts to her students.

“How lucky am I to get to say I love my work. I love the college and love that I get to be a part of a process that will impact people’s lives and futures every single day.”

For many years Quinsigamond Community College has been a member of the Commonwealth Honors Program (CHP), which is accredited by the Department of Higher Education (DHE). All of the Massachusetts community colleges, state universities, and UMass campuses are part of this honors program, with each school determining their curriculum, based on the accreditation criteria that the DHE has established.  QCC’s Honors Program requires students successfully complete four courses at an honors level with a B or higher. A small, seminar-style, team-taught class, is the capstone course of the program.

The theme of this fall’s capstone was, “Dystopian/Utopian Worlds in Literature and Contemporary Society.” Over the previous summer, each student chose and read a novel from the genre of dystopian literature.  During the fall semester, students worked closely with their two professors, Amy Beaudry and Gaelan Lee Benway, and a library mentor (Denise Cross, Michael Stevenson, or Tiger Swan), to select a real world topic that is addressed in their dystopian novel. They then conducted scholarly research on this topic, wrote a 10-15 page literature review, and presented their findings to the college community on December 4.  Students who presented their research included:

• Brandon Anderson, Liberal Arts - Psychology, “Alone together: A Society of Electric Sheep and Extremists”
• Jenna Glode, Liberal Arts – History, “Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Anarchy”
• Larissa Gloss, Business Administration Transfer, “Visible and Psychological Impacts of Objectification”
• Haley Gordon, Criminal Justice, “Privatization v. Public Good: Education”
• Jonathan Lane, General Studies, “The Fight for Liberty”
• Lily Lavender-Hoge, Business Administration, “Political Fear Tactics”
• Sarah Maino, General Studies,“The Cognitive Consequences of Forbidden Love”
• J. Carlos Simoes, General Studies Health Care, “The New Boogeyman: Social Media”
• Hue Truong, Computer Science, “Collectivism: Thoughts on the Assimilation of Chinese Minorities”
• Savannah Vangel, Liberal Arts - Psychology, “Government Surveillance”
• Ryan Waxman, Liberal Arts, “Fear as a Form of Social Control”
• Sarah Zlody, General Studies, "Prostitution: The Real Story"

Visit Commonwealth Honors to learn more.

Each month, the professors in QCC’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programs recognize and acknowledge the perseverance of one student in their perspective STEM areas. Below are the October 2019 STEM Students of the Month with a few comments from the professors who nominated them. They include:

Science - Savannah Finney, nominated by Professor Anna Krzywicka-Racka.

“I would like to nominate as a STEM Student of the Month Savannah Finney. She was in my BIO 108 class during the spring semester and she has shown an exceptional level of enthusiasm toward class and biology in general. Her involvement reaches much beyond the class material and what is required in school. She reminds me of a naturalist of previous centuries who will spend her life trying to discover the mysteries of nature. She is passionate, involved and empathetic toward nature. Savannah is also a good, hard working student who can be an example for others.”            

Technology -  Mina Fahmy, nominated by Charulata Trivedi, professor of Computer Information Systems

“Mina was a student in my Web Development I class and has had many courses with Professor Robert Desilets. We believe he deserves to be ‘Student of the Month’ award due to his exceptional work ethics. He is well-organized, and skilled at handling multiple high priority tasks. He is consistent in quality for his assignments, is willing to suggest solutions, and go extra mile to support other students. He is always on-time for class meetings and submitting project work. We believe that Mina’s hard-working ethics, willingness to help out his fellow students, and enthusiasm in the subject matter will take him far beyond Quinsigamond Community College.”                 

Engineering - Sharon Ridley, nominated by James Heffernan, professor of Electronics Engineering Technology

“Sharon came to Quinsigamond Community College with a significant amount of prior work experience in various aspects of manufacturing.  Since her last company relocated, she has used her unemployed status as an opportunity to update her skills and abilities to prepare for the next phase of her career.  She enrolled in the Electronics Engineering Technology program and is completing both the Mechatronics Option and the Photonics Option. Sharon has distinguished herself in every course she has taken, demonstrating a strong work ethic and a willingness to spend extra hours in the lab when necessary.  She comes to class with a professional and positive attitude and sets a good example for other students. We are delighted to have her here at QCC and know she will represent the college well in the community after she graduates.”

Jonathan Kimball – Mathematics, nominated by Steve Zona, Professor of Mathematics

“College Algebra and Precalculus are the first two college STEM courses that the Math Department offers. Many students struggle, but one student, Jonathan Kimball, has excelled in both of these courses.  As one of my students in both of those courses, I have come to know Jonathan as a model student and a role model for others. Perfect attendance and outstanding class participation seemed effortless for Jonathan.  His willingness to contribute to class and to be a leader among his peers in class are exemplary. Outside of my classes, Jonathan has excelled in Trigonometry and his current course, Calculus I.  Outside of class, Jonathan is generous with his time and expertise. Not only is he a Phi Theta Kappa member with a 3.73 GPA in Engineering, but he is also a volunteer tutor in my College Algebra class where he is respected by everyone.”       

Quinsigamond Community College adjunct faculty member Chryssa Meleti has been nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize in the category of Best American Poetry 2020. Ms. Meleti was nominated by the American Aesthetic Journal, which published her poem, "Romel Forks." The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize published by Pushcart Press that honors the best published poetry, short stories, essays, memoirs or stand-alone novel excerpts over the previous year, from little magazine and small book press editors throughout the world.

Ms. Meleti, who is originally from Greece, came to the U.S. in 2016 and quickly became a permanent citizen. She writes in both English and Greek and has been published in American, Greek and Finnish literary magazines. She’s had a novel, “Lydius” published in Melbourne, Australia and participated as an author in two collective works: “Fugue,” a collection of contemporary short stories, published in London, England and “Fortune Cookies II, an Anthology of the New Wave of Greek Writers,” published in Athens, Greece.

“I have been writing poetry for 10 years now. I mostly write fiction. I started writing fiction -with pauses and breaks- since when I was a kid,” she said. “I prefer free verse; I think that free verse offers more expressive autonomy to a poet as it has no rules. However, it still needs an inner sense of rhythm otherwise it isn’t poetry. I believe that the inner tune of language is what defines the good free verse poems.”

Ms. Meleti has been teaching at QCC since 2019 as an adjunct instructor, teaching French and ESOL.

“I love my students and I really enjoy teaching here. The students are amazing, such great personalities and such sensitive and responsible human beings. Their positive response to my teaching gives me strength and motivation to become better by trying constantly to inspire them as much as they inspire me,” she said.

 It was during a break from a meeting at the College that she found out the exciting news of her nomination.

“I was so excited that I had to try really hard to stay focused on the meeting after that,” she said.  “It’s really an honor and I have to thank Thomas F. Jones (editor of The American Aesthetic; writer and essayist  for the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle) for nominating me. I respect his work tremendously.”

Pushcart Prize winners will be announced in Spring 2020.

Happy New Year! The College will be closed for Winter Break from Wednesday December 25 – January 1 and will re-open on January 2.

Thursday, January 2: Intersession classes begin.

Tuesday, January 14: Last day of intersession classes/exams.

Monday, January 20: Martin Luther King Day – the College is closed.

Wednesday, January 22: Classes begin for the Spring Semester.

January Spotlight:  QCC will hold a Super Saturday Registration Event on January 11 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in the Welcome Center, located on the college’s main campus. Students who have been unable to register during the week have another chance to register for classes.

Closures or Abbreviated Hours During Winter Break:

Food Services will be closed from December 25 through January 1, 2020 and will re-open on January 2.

The Main Cafeteria located on the basement level of the Administration Building will be observing Intercession hours through January 20, 2020.

• Monday- Friday:             7:30a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Breakfast:                       7:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
• Snacks & Beverages:    10:00 a.m.  – 11:00 a.m.
• Lunch:                            11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Snacks & Beverages:     1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

A short time ago in a college not so far away, Quinsigamond Community College Associate Professor of English, Michael Gormley, began teaching a cultural course on the history of the 42-year Star Wars movie franchise phenomena. In another realm, Betty Lauer, QCC’s dean of the School of Business, Engineering, and Technology was using the Star Wars movie franchise to excite students from South High Community School and Burncoat High School in the field of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). These movies give students a way to see standard academics come to life.

Star Wars has transformed into a cultural phenomenon that has become firmly embedded in our society. Calling devices, such as the popular “droid,” is one example of the integration of Stars Wars into society. The droid is a registered trademark by Lucas Film (the film company founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas), which was licensed to Verizon Wireless for the company’s smartphones. Additionally, the films’ droids (robots that act like servants, pilots, technicians and soldiers in the Star Wars films) are being seen in our real technology-driven world. Many scientists and engineers have been inspired by the films. Today we have similar droid-like robots such as automated military drones, Google's driverless cars to robotic surgical assistants. Iconic Star Wars phrases such as “May the Force be with you,” have also become commonplace in our society.

The course Mr. Gormley is teaching delivers students a unique way in which they can learn and understand abstract concepts that can sometimes be difficult to grasp. Through writing and discussions, students analyze the dominant and persistent elements of Star Wars, as well as themes of morality, religion, gender, and race. The response from students to QCC’s course has been exceptional. In fact, the three-credit, humanities/liberal arts elective has become so popular that the college added additional seats to try and accommodate as many students as possible. Mr. Gormley plans to teach this course again in Fall 2020.

“Everyone seems to love that the course represents the ability to draw pop-culture into academia. I developed ‘Star Wars as Narrative and Culture’ because it’s the dream. As a kid (and often enough as an adult), I wrapped myself and my worldview in stories, usually Star Wars. In many ways, I’m still that kid who wouldn’t shut up about Star Wars,” Mr. Gormley said, adding, “Those students who do love Star Wars though, when they heard about the course, always reacted excitedly, often with double-takes or jaw-drop happiness.”

The course focuses on Star Wars as a cultural epoch spanning from 1977 to 2019 and curates a nuanced and timely look at the currents that surround and bind the Skywalker Saga with the larger franchise.

“We examine how Star Wars interacts with culture and exists as a culture unto itself. We are also reading most of Chris Taylor’s ‘How Star Wars Conquered the Universe,’ for historical and cultural context, and Ian Doescher’s ‘William Shakespeare’s Star Wars’ to examine how Star Wars interacts with culture,” Mr. Gormley continued.

The class ending will almost coincide with the December 20 release of the last Star Wars movie: Episode IX, “The Rise of Skywalker.”  The goal of the course beyond learning about the Star Wars franchise and culture, is to give students the opportunity to incorporate what they are passionate about with academics.

“This course can never happen again, in this way. We are preparing for the end of a cinematic and cultural epoch,” Mr. Gormley said. “A course like this empowers students’ visions of themselves by teaching how to turn the things they love into academic and career success.”

For the high school students who came to QCC, attending a Star Wars Lego building session at the college’s QuEST Center enabled them to look at the Star Wars phenomenon from a technology perspective.

“Star Wars is such a craze with high school students too; both female and male. This session taught students how to sharpen their spatial skills, while having fun,” Ms. Lauer said. “Many of these students are interested in STEM and this activity shows them that learning can be fun too.”

While the last Star Wars movie may be in sight, its “force” will live on in the students at QCC.

Stuff-A-Cruiser has become a popular, annual tradition at Quinsigamond Community College. Each year QCC’s Campus Police accept donations of new, unwrapped toys for QCC students and their families. The program is done in conjunction with the College’s Feed Our Family initiative (formally known as Feed A Family), which has partnered with QCC’s Food Pantry and Resource Center to help QCC families in need not only during the holidays but throughout the year. Donations are tax-deductible and can make a difference for many of students, staff and faculty. This year the police will once again be accepting donations to help make the holidays a bit brighter for our students and their families.

New, unwrapped toys along with Feed Our Family donations will be accepted on:

• Tuesday, December 3 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at QCC Southbridge in the lobby, 5 Optical Drive, Southbridge
• Wednesday, December 4 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at QCC’s Main Campus at the flag poles, 670 West Boylston Street, Worcester
• Thursday, December 5 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at QCC's Healthcare and Workforce Development Centers in the lobby, 25 Federal Street, Worcester

Interested in making a donation but can’t make those dates? Campus police will be accepting donations at the Campus Police Station, located on the College’s main campus, in the Athletic Center, Room 136.

“The holidays can often be some of the most trying times for those in need and any donation, large or small can make a huge difference,” said QCC President Dr. Luis Pedraja. “Each year our QCC family comes through for those in need and I have no doubt we will do it again this year.”

Overcoming the odds is nothing new to Quinsigamond Community College 2016 alumna Laurence Fankep. Ms. Fankep lives in Worcester, a far cry from her native Cameroon, where she emigrated from in 2011 with her husband and young daughter. She is poised to graduate from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) with her pharmacy degree in May 2020 and said it’s all thanks to Quinsigamond Community College, a place she fondly calls “home.”

As a native French speaker, life was not always easy when she got to Worcester and she struggled to understand the English language. In 2014, after having her second child and pregnant with her third, she decided to look into programs that could help with her English, as well as advance her education. She decided to choose QCC for its flexibility, affordability and location; enrolling in the General Studies program, while taking English as Second Language (ESL) classes.

“I wanted to do something in nursing or in the health field, but I wasn’t sure just what,” she said. “At first it was hard for me to understand and interact with people because I only spoke French. Kathy (ESL Professor Kathleen Lewando) was really so helpful to me from the start.”

Ms. Fankep attended QCC full-time throughout her pregnancy and was thriving. In fact, she was in class the day before delivering her third child; however, what should have been one of the happiest moments in her family’s life turned into a life-threatening scare when she developed a blood infection (sepsis) after giving birth to her son that next day.

“I was very sick and it was one of the worst moments of my life. I didn’t know the American term ‘sepsis’… it was so scary. My son was also sick when he was born,” she said.

Thankfully, Ms. Fankep and her son recovered and after three weeks she was released from the hospital, grateful to be O.K., but wanting to make sense of what had happened to her.

“I wanted to know what was going on. I read my health report but I couldn’t understand it and I was so depressed. I wanted to know what had happened and I told my husband I wanted to go to pharmacy school to understand about sepsis shock and the treatment and medications,” she said. “This was such a difficult moment in my life because my other children were 5 and barely 2 years old. “

While she knew the challenges she would face changing majors, particularly with three young children at home and going into an area of study (science) that she was unfamiliar with, she was not deterred.  

“I got back from the hospital on a Friday and on Monday I was back at school. I got all the material I missed, took my final exams and did well,” she said, adding, “I had wonderful, supportive professors.”

Not only did she take her exams, she also changed her major to pre-pharmacy and never looked back. Under the tutelage of Chemistry Professor and Pre-Pharmacy Coordinator Dilip Patel, Ms. Fankep excelled.

“I was so scared at first but Professor Patel said ‘you are smart and I know you can do it,” she said. “He was very, very supportive.”

Ms. Fankep said the math and writing tutoring centers, coupled with her professors, were also instrumental in her success at QCC. So successful that she was asked to become a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) and subsequently became a PTK officer.

“The tutoring centers were great resources for me,” she said, noting that she went from using the tutoring centers to becoming a tutor herself.

Having a mentor in Dean of Compliance Liz Woods was also instrumental in her progress at QCC.

“She was always there to listen to me when I was nervous or stressed,” she said adding that PTK Advisor Bonnie Coleman was also someone she could turn to for support.

“Being a PTK officer was scary at the beginning because I’m shy, but Bonnie was there to tell me I could do it,” she said.

The Road to MCPHS

As Ms. Fankep neared graduation, she was encouraged to apply to MCPHS after discussing her options with Professor Patel. Not only did she get accepted, she also earned a $30,000 scholarship. English Professor Michael Gormley worked with her on the scholarship application.

“He reviewed my first draft and told me I had to sell myself. I came back with my second draft and he helped me again so I could get it just right,” she said.

Ms. Fankep is now in her final months at MCPHS where she has worked to complete her pharmacy degree, while raising her three children (now 9, 7 and 5) and doing her clinical rotations at area pharmacies. She is in the end stages of these rotations, and while she does not have a concrete plan yet on what she will do after she graduates in May, she has already been offered a job with one of the pharmacies that she did a clinical rotation.

A Foundation for Success

She encourages everyone to take a look at QCC. She was so enthusiastic about the College that her husband, Edris Lodue, also came to QCC and earned a Computer Systems Engineering Technology Certificate.

Her advice to others who are considering attending college is simple.

“You have all the support that you need here at QCC. Just go for it. There’s always someone to talk to.” she said. “I will always come back here to visit…QCC is where I started. I love this place.”

Each year on Veterans Day QCC veterans and active duty military personnel and their families get together to take part in Worcester’s annual Veterans Day parade. Once again our students did not disappoint and a large group of our veterans and active duty service personnel participated in the parade. Additionally, through the support of the Veteran Affairs Office and QCC Vets Club, a free veteran’s breakfast was held at Veterans Inc. prior to the start of the parade. A particularly touching tribute in honor of Veterans Day was the lining of the roadway with American flags leading up to the College’s main campus.

Other ongoing veteran-centric initiatives include: “Operation: Care Package,” which is running until December 3. The Veterans Club is gathering items to send to currently deployed service members to make their holidays a bit brighter.  Accepted items include:

• Cards/Letters
• Snack nuts
• Candy
• Gum/Mints
• Beef Jerky
• Popcorn
• Deodorant
• Stamps
• Phone Cards
• Crossword Puzzles
• Hot Chocolate Packets
• Hair Ties
• Toothpaste
• Socks
• Sunscreen
• Chapstick
• Lotion
• Fuzzy socks

Drop off boxes are located in 258A, and at the main desk of QCC’s Healthcare and Workforce Development Center, 25 Federal Street, Worcester

For more information contact QCC Director of Veteran Affairs, Paula Ogden, at pogden [at] qcc.mass.edu.

On November 9, the Psi Beta and Psychology Club students presented their research at the New England Psychological Association Conference at Southern New Hampshire University. The project "Staying Engaged: The Examination of Factors Related to College Course Engagement," was presented by Noelle Hemdal (QCC graduate and current tutor, now attending The American Woman’s College-Baypath University in Forensic Psychology)  and current QCC students Krysa Boyce and Norma Charles-Rodriguez. Ms. Boyce and Ms. Charles-Rodriguez will be graduating in December and continuing on in their psychology studies at Worcester State University.

Other research associates who were part of this project included: QCC psychology graduates Chloe M. Current, Adam A. Maarij and current QCC psychology student Leah Johnston. The Psi Beta and Psychology Club will be launching its spring research project in January. Any student who is interested in participating, should contact either Professor Valerie Clemente at vclemente [at] qcc.mass.edu or Professor Eric Mania at emania [at] qcc.mass.edu