Women of NECC Board members Betty Jaffe and Carole O”Connor of Andover and Gerri Murphy of North Andover attended the Women’s annual June event held this year at the home of Linda and Larry McHugh of North Andover.

 More than 85 guests of the Women of Northern Essex Community College attended the 19th annual June fundraising event hosted by Linda and Larry McHugh in their North Andover home.

The McHughs graciously hosted the annual fundraiser which raised more than $13,000 for scholarships. The night included a mystery wine grab, a silent auction, and a raffle.

The Women of NECC event was catered by NexDine Catering. Flowers by Steve, Inc. donated floral arrangements and Paper Potpourri donated invitations for the event.

Glenn Prezzano,  editor and publisher of Merrimack Valley Magazine, (L) and Larry McHugh, who hosted the Women of NECC June event along with his wife Linda, chat during the event.

The Women of Northern Essex Community College is a volunteer organization dedicated to assisting Northern Essex Community College and its students. The organization generates funds for student scholarships and special projects by conducting a variety of fundraising events throughout the year, including a Fall Membership Tea and a June Gala Open House event.

For additional information contact Jean Poth, Vice-President Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the NECC Foundation, Inc. at jpoth@necc.mass.edu

Merrimack College President Christopher Hopey and NECC President Lane Glenn.

Northern Essex Community College President Lane Glenn received the honorary degree of doctor of education from Merrimack College in North Andover during its recent 65^th commencement exercises. When presenting the award, Merrimack President Christopher E. Hopey referred to President Glenn as “A higher education leader…a partner for progress”.

 “You began your education at a community college in Oklahoma and completed your Ph.D at Michigan State working as actor and director as well as a teacher and administrator. You joined Northern Essex Community College in 2006 and rose to the presidency in 2011, overseeing two campuses…” Hopey continued his praise saying, “You have implemented innovative programs that have helped your students overcome challenges, succeed academically, develop job skills and move more readily into the workforce.”

 Hopey lauded Glenn for his work with the city of Lawrence to create economic vibrancy and educational opportunities for local residents. He noted that President Glenn had chaired the Lawrence Partnership and served on the Essex Heritage Foundation as well as the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“Lane Glenn your determination and drive have bettered the prospects of so many in our region, and exemplify the power of learning to improve lives,” Hopey said.

 Glenn is the fourth president of Northern Essex, which was founded in 1961. A resident of Amesbury, Dr. Lane Glenn became president of Northern Essex on July 1, 2011. Prior to his appointment, he served as NECC’s vice president of academic affairs for five years.

Others who received honorary degrees from Merrimack College were alumnus Dr. Arthur M. Fournier, professor and vice chairman of the Family Medicine & Community Health Department and the associate dean for community health affairs at the University of Miami School of Medicine; Richard Gallant, chairman of Global Technology Finance, a financial surety company he cofounded, and president of Fibertech Medical, a mid-sized endoscopic repair company; and Dr. Nancy J. Sullivan, an alumna of Merrimack College, who is chief of the Biodefense Research Section, National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Vaccine Research Center (VCR), in Bethesda, Md.

Graduate Samantha Smith (right in photo) celebrates with her Professor, Luce Aubry.

Seven local students recently were in the first class to graduate from Massachusetts only public bachelor’s degree program in American Sign Language-English Interpreting. 

All graduates of Northern Essex Community College’s Associate Degree Program in Deaf Studies, these students took Framingham State University courses, offered on Northern Essex’s Haverhill Campus and online, as part of a degree-completion partnership between the two colleges.

The seven earned a degree in American Sign Language-English Interpreting at Framingham State University’s Commencement in May and are now preparing to take the state-level Massachusetts Interpreter Screening offered through the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. When they pass, they will be eligible for entry-level interpreting work. Ultimately, graduates will seek national certification from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, which will open up even more career opportunities.

“The job market for certified interpreters is great,” said Luce Aubry, coordinator of Northern Essex’s Deaf Studies Program and assistant professor, World Languages Department, FSU.  “They will find jobs interpreting for Deaf individuals in schools, courts, offices, and hospitals.”

Six of the seven NECC alumni who graduated from Framingham State’s bachelor’s in American Sign Language-English Interpreting. Left to right: Luce Aubry, Dana Haggar, Jacqueline Purvinis, Linda Wyke, Michelle Lasa, Elden Bollinger, Samantha Smith. Not pictured: Samantha Heighes.

Samantha Smith of Rowley, MA was one of the seven graduates.  After graduating from high school in 2005, she took college classes but decided to take a break because she couldn’t figure out what she wanted to focus on. 

While working as a bank teller, she rediscovered her interest in deaf studies, which had been kindled during her childhood by her best friend’s mother who was an ASL interpreter.

She’s now looking for a job that will keep her involved with the Deaf community and allow her to maintain her ASL skills while she prepares for the first part of the Massachusetts state screening for interpreters in the fall.

Smith graduated with an Associate Degree in Deaf Studies from Northern Essex in 2013 and with her bachelor’s from Framingham State in May.

NECC and FSU launched the partnership two years ago with the goal of creating an affordable bachelor’s degree program that would prepare graduates for careers in ASL interpreting.  Students complete their associate degree at NECC in Deaf Studies: Interpreting Transfer and then complete their junior and senior years taking FSU courses on NECC’s Haverhill Campus.

This group of 7 students is the first class to graduate from the new program and next spring it is expected that there will be 5 additional graduates.

“Students interested in a career as an interpreter for the Deaf should enjoy learning languages, studying different cultures, and working with people,” according to Aubry.

For more information on NECC’s Deaf Studies programs, visit the NECC website (necc.mass.edu) or contact enrollment services at 978 556-3700.

For more information on FSU’s American Sign Language-English interpreting bachelor’s degree, visit www.framingham.edu or contact the Admissions Office at 508-626-4500.

Left to right, Helen Ubiñas’s parents, Maria and Sixto Ubinas, Helen, and her husband Michael Dunne, a 1991 graduate of NECC.

Helen Ubiñas, an award-winning journalist and current Philadelphia Daily News columnist and alumna of Northern Essex Community College, is this year’s recipient of the NECC 2015 Outstanding Alumni Award. Ubiñas was the commencement speaker at the college’s 53^rd commencement exercises in May.

The award is given annually to recognize a Northern Essex graduate who has achieved success in his or her career, is active in the community, and has given back to the college.

The award was presented to Ubiñas by Susan Bonenfant, chairperson of the NECC Alumni Association.

In presenting the award to Ubiñas, formerly of Methuen, Bonefant said, “She is the type of person who inspires us every day through her work. As a long-time journalist, she has demonstrated an unwavering devotion to uncovering the truth, publishing the facts, and promoting positive social change. She has won numerous prizes for her writing, including a team Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Coverage of a 1999 state lottery shooting in Connecticut, and has given voice to countless individuals and groups who have over the years been silenced or ostracized.”

Award-winning journalist Helen Ubiñas was the recipient of the NECC 2015 Outstanding Alumni Award.

In presenting the award on behalf of the NECC Alumni Association, Bonenfant noted,  “We alumni share in your pride and joy on this special day and officially welcome you as the newest members of the NECC Alumni Association. We hope you will make a point to stay connected and involved with Northern Essex. We wish you all great success.”

In her commencement speech, Ubiñas, who attended Northern Essex from 1990-1991 and met her husband while they were both students at NECC, encouraged the graduates to use their voices as they move forward in their education and careers.

Ubiñas is a former editor of the Observer, NECC’s student newspaper, who says she “found herself and her future” at Northern Essex. After attending NECC, she transferred to Boston University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree. She went on to earn a master’s from Trinity College in Connecticut.

Ubiñas was a longtime reporter and columnist for the Hartford Courant, Connecticut’s longest continuously published newspaper, where she was awarded a number of honors, including a team Pulitzer Prize for breaking news in 1999. In 2000, she became the Courant’s first Latina news columnist. In 2007, she was one of 12 US journalists awarded the prestigious John S. Knight journalism fellowship at Stanford University. She’s also received several awards since becoming a columnist in Philadelphia, including the top honor in column-writing at the 2014 Keystone Press Awards.

For additional information contact Lindsey Mayo, director of NECC Alumni Relations at 978-556-3621 or lmayo@necc.mass.edu