Updates from College Leadership

Dear Colleagues,

Summer is upon us and I am hoping that everyone will take some time this summer to reconnect and recharge. Everybody has their own way of doing this, but whatever works for you, please get out there and go for it.

This summer, I am planning on spending time with my family, including our brand new granddaughter who was born three days before graduation. I will also be out running new trails, biking new roads and swimming in Walden Pond. I also hope to have a chance to attack that large pile of books next to my bed that just never seems to diminish in size.

At MCC, I will have more time to roam the campuses so don’t be surprised if I pop in some day to see how you are doing. It is always fun to connect with the interesting individuals who do so much for our students.

All the best.

Jim Mabry

Table Of Contents

• Featured Video
  • #NextStep on my Path
• Featured News Story
  • Reaching for her dreams
• Upcoming Events
• Awards, Presentations & Publications
  • Admissions
  • Entrepreneurship
    
  • Multicultural Career & Networking Forum
• Community Submissions
  • Intensive English Institute
  • Khmer New Year Celebration at the Asian American Connections Center
  • MCC Alumni Association
  • Music Department
  • Student Affairs

Featured Video

#NextStep on my Path

Featured News Story

Reaching for her dreams

No obstacle could keep mother of three from her degree. Read more: http://www.lowellsun.com/local/ci_32641054/reaching-her-dreams#ixzz5pKx5gR7D

Upcoming Events

• June 10, 2019 – MCC Foundation Board Meeting, 8 a.m., Middlesex Meetinghouse, Billerica
• June 11, 2019 – Board of Trustees Meeting, 8 a.m., Federal Building, 3rd Floor Courtroom, Lowell
• June 18, 2019 – BHE Meeting, 10 a.m., UMass Boston Alumni Lounge, Boston
• June 19, 2019 – Workforce Training Fund Grants Info Session
• June 24, 2019 – English Learner Institute Begins
• July 8 to August 15, 2019 – College for Kids

Awards, Presentations & Publications

Admissions

May is a busy month not only for our current students, but also for our new, incoming students! Admissions held three On Site Registration events at Greater Lowell Technical High School, Dracut High School and Lowell High School. At each event, students were able to meet one-on-one with a representative from Admissions or Advising, select their personalized schedule for the fall, and receive important information about starting as a new student at MCC. We registered a total of 83 new students in an estimated 900 plus credits! Big thanks to the Advising and the Student Information staffs for teaming up with us and making these events such a positive experience for new students.

On May 14^th the Admissions and Advising teams collaborated with Student Affairs for the Admitted Student Family Night. About 35 new students and their families attended this first time event. Student Engagement coordinated a reception and workshop sessions for the families, while the Advising and Admissions staffs were able to connect with new students and get them started on next steps for the fall, whether that was scheduling a placement test appointment or even registering them for fall classes. Many thanks to Financial Aid, Financial Wellness and Student Accounts for their participation as well.

This fall, the Admissions team looks forward to engaging with various areas of the college. Our goal is always to be as informed as possible about the numerous opportunities available to our students. Please feel free to invite a member of the Admissions team to your meeting or share information with us via email. We are always eager for new and updated information regarding programs, events and engagement activities.  We hope you enjoy the summer months.

Entrepreneurship

For our “Intro to Entrepreneurship” (BUS 130) class, students plan and launch a business, then pitch at an MCC Shark Tank. Students also donate their net-profit to the Lowell Boys and Girls Club. In total, students this semester are donating $1,539.77. Donations over the years come to $10,722.

The winning team from the Fall DifferenceMaker@MCC Idea Challenge moved on to the DifferenceMaker at UMass Lowell competition to win $4,500 to develop their idea of a clean, nonpartisan, voter education app to assist busy people with their civic duty.

Conscious Capitalism – a speaker series hosted by the IDEA Center invited Megan Schleck, CEO of new start-up COIN. COIN is a conscious investing platform that empowers people to make a difference with their money.

Students enrolled in Launch Your Business Now, an applied-entrepreneurship certificate program designed for students to start or grow a business, pitched to the Everyday Entrepreneurs Venture Fund on May 16th. The committee gave out $50,000 in seed funding.

Multicultural Career & Networking Forum

On April 25, the Program for Asian American Student Advancement hosted a Career & Networking Forum to provide students an opportunity to network and learn about different careers from professionals in various fields. Additionally, students were able to hear about the career paths from the panelists who also offered career advice. After the panel discussion, students got the opportunity to practice their networking skills and connect with members of the panel over lunch.

The Career Forum panel included:

• Jenny Chang, Executive Director for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Asian American Commission
• Kenneth An, Director of the Boston Area Office of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• Lada Lau, Assistant Director of Co-op in the Kennedy College of Sciences at UMass Lowell
• Kirirath Saing, Multicultural Program Specialist for Element Care
• Vichtcha Kong, Business Development & Community Relations Officer at Washington Savings Bank
• Superintendent Richard K. Richardson, Lowell Police Department
• Patrolwoman Andeth Vann, first Cambodian female police officer in the Lowell Police Department

Community Submissions

Intensive English Institute

In Fall 2017, MCC launched an Intensive English Institute (IEI), offering 18 hours per week of noncredit, high-intermediate and advanced English language instruction. Now, IEI will be expanding from 20 students to up to 40 students. For domestic students the cost is only $450 per semester. Interested individuals should contact Marilyn Glazer-Weisner.

Khmer New Year Celebration at the Asian American Connections Center

On April 17, the Asian Students in Alliance (A.S.I.A) hosted a celebration in the Asian American Connections Center to celebrate the Cambodian New Year, a three-day festival honoring the harvesting season in Southeast Asia.

More than 50 people participated in the celebration, which included faculty, staff and students. The event was planned by student leaders from the A.S.I.A group. A.S.I.A also collaborated with a local clothing boutique, Kravant Boutique, to showcase traditional Cambodian clothing that is typically worn for celebratory occasions. Alumni Vattara Heng, who is now at UMass Lowell, helped to MC the event where the MCC community learned about Khmer culture, tasted Khmer traditional foods, and danced to Cambodian folk and contemporary music. First-semester student, Pichraksmey Hoeu, fluidly performed a classical dance, which contributes to the preservation of Khmer identity and culture for Cambodian youth in Lowell.

MCC Alumni Association

On Monday, May 13, the MCC Alumni Association Board met for its spring meeting at Osteria Nino in Burlington. Over the past year, the Alumni Association has increased alumni engagement with the college by 41% through marketing and social and fundraising events.  To get involved with the Alumni Association, go to www.middlesex.mass.edu/alumni or contact Amy Lee at leea@middlesex.mass.edu; 978-656-3028.

Music Department

The MCC Student Recital on May 6 featured singers, guitarists, pianists, French hornist, bassoonist, cellist and compositions by Music Technology students.

Five music students performed in the Piano Men fundraiser on May 8. Em Russell, bassoon; Robin Panariti, French horn; Margaleet Katzenblickstien, cello; and Mason Borsini, percussion performed in the orchestra, and Heather Demers, voice, sang a selection with the orchestra. Orlando Cela conducted.

MCC music students performed at Commencement, Tylor Hoyt sang the National Anthem. Cellist Nathaniel Abreu performed “The Swan” by Saint-Saens. And a vocal ensemble of singers Heather Demers, Abbie King, Celine Lizotte, Em Russell and Diana Sears performed “God Bless America.”

Student Affairs

MCC students traveled to Houston, Texas, to assist with rehabilitation after Hurricane Harvey. They helped restore four homes with a nonprofit organization that supports low-income seniors, veterans and those with disabilities. Their mission is to revitalize communities, and rebuild lives.