Scholarship Recipients Acknowledged at Reception

A reception was held on April 22 to recognize 20 QCC students who each received a $1,000 scholarship this spring to support their studies in STEM programs. These scholarships were made possible through funding received from two state agencies: the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, which sponsored students through the Central Region Advanced Manufacturing Consortium; and the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD), which sponsored students through the Massachusetts Biomedical Initiative (MBI). These agencies are investing in developing the workforce in advanced manufacturing and the life sciences industry, two high growth engines of the Massachusetts economy.

QCC President Dr. Luis Pedraja and QCC Assistant Vice President for Workforce Readiness and Innovation Kathy Rentsch hosted the reception and welcomed the students and guests. Guests included: Nhat Le, Chief Operating Officer of MOBD and Jon Weaver, President and CEO of MBI.

In her remarks to the group, Ms. Le explained that she was the first in her family to attend college and had no one close to advise her. She empathized with the difficulties students face in navigating college and recommended the students take advantage of campus advising and mentoring programs. Mr. Weaver also addressed the group, noting that life sciences and bio-manufacturing are rapidly growing businesses in the greater Worcester area and encouraged students to consider careers in these industries.

The life sciences scholarship recipients, who were hosted by QCC Professor Jessica Crowley, are: Samara Ahmed, Hannah Gonzalez, Regan Guillot, Dureid Homade, Seyedashkan Hosseini, Boris Ludena, Piro Mihilli, Kriols Mohareb, Leslie Bonsu and Ryan Singer.

The advanced manufacturing scholarship recipients, who were hosted by QCC Professor Jacob Longacre, are: Johanny Polanco, Danny Banh, Prakash Bhandari, Yamil Hernandez, Jah’maal Memnon, Jonathan Pintado, Davon Taylor, Andres Tavares, Jay Mason and Dhalin Lutaaya.

Mr. Bhandari, who is originally from Nepal, noted how helpful the scholarship funding was in allowing him to focus on his studies. Mr. Hernandez shared that he is juggling family responsibilities along with his college studies and working full-time, stating the scholarship was a huge help to him.

For more information on these grant programs, contact Adrienne Linnell, Program Administrator for STEM initiatives at Alinnell [at] qcc.mass.edu