Alumni reflect on how STCC transformed their lives at inaugural planning session

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Springfield Technical Community College Foundation held its inaugural alumni planning session on April 8 with a lively discussion featuring graduates from different eras of the college’s 55-year history.

The Alumni Planning Retreat, held in the Ira H. Rubenzahl Learning Commons, was designed to re-engage STCC alumni.

“It’s about taking time to hear from those of you who experienced STCC as students. Some of you are employees now. Some of you are connected to the college in other ways,” said Dr. Shai Butler, Interim Vice President of Advancement and External Affairs at STCC.

STCC President John B. Cook welcomed the alumni, saying he looked forward to hearing their thoughts and suggestions.

The panel discussion included business owner Ric Serrenho ’80, STCC Professor Anthony Rondinelli ’92, and Karolyn Burgos Toribio ’19, an STCC staff member. Other alumni listened and posed questions during the two-hour retreat.

The discussion kicked off with a question to the panel: Why did you choose STCC?

Serrenho said he came to STCC in 1975 initially to study graphic arts, but wasn’t interested in the subject. “I flunked out,” he said. “I just didn’t try.”

After his unsuccessful stint at STCC, he went to work as a camera operator for a local television station. He enjoyed the job and decided to go back to college to learn more about television.

This time, he was driven to succeed.

“I was motivated. It was 1978. I came back to STCC. I enrolled in the telecommunications program. I did well in all of my subjects,” he said. “I wanted to get my degree. I wanted to learn more about TV.”

I always loved school. I always loved education. Karolyn Burgos Toribio, STCC alumna, Class of 2019

A few years after getting his degree from STCC and working in television, Serrenho started his own communications business. He ran the successful business for 23 years and stayed involved in STCC, serving on the Foundation Board and starting an alumni group.

Another alumnus on the panel, Rondinelli, came to STCC in 1989 after graduating from Cathedral High School in Springfield (now Pope Francis Preparatory School). He said he grew up “with very little means” but excelled as a high school student. When he considered going to STCC, he said he felt very comfortable with the college.

“I always maintained strong ties with the city (of Springfield),” Rondinelli said. “I applied to all of the colleges in the city … One day I came here to STCC … I felt a good vibe. I felt really good about what I saw, the people that I talked with, the comfortable nature of the campus, the fact that I can continue to work at our family business.”

Rondinelli earned his associate degree in business from STCC. Today, Rondinelli is a professor of business administration at STCC.

“I really felt that STCC gave me the starting point that I needed to be successful and to go on to a four-year institution, and then on to graduate school where I obtained two master’s degrees,” Rondinelli said.

The most recent graduate on the panel discussion was Toribio, who works with the LEAD Leadership and Mentoring program at STCC which helps female students with the opportunity to take an active role in their leadership development and educational journey.

Toribio moved to Springfield from the Dominican Republic when she was 9 years old.

“I always loved school. I always loved education,” Toribio. “I’ve always been so passionate about it. I’m the first person in my family to come to college in the United States.”

“I chose STCC because it was the most affordable choice for me, and it was close,” she said.

Toribio blossomed at STCC. She described herself as being shy in high school. At STCC, she got involved in student leadership roles. She served as student trustee. She started a club for Black and Hispanic female students and created a scholarship.

“All of these activities I joined at STCC shaped me to build my leadership skills, my public speaking skills,” she said.

She added that she met her husband at STCC, and they are expecting their first baby in June. She hopes to continue with her education and eventually get a master’s degree.

Also during the retreat, the STCC graduates discussed ideas on how to engage other alumni and build on the inaugural meeting.

“We’re going to do more of these types of events,” Butler said. “This is really the launch of a conversation today.”

The STCC Foundation, which hosted the event, helps the college meet its goals and commitment to provide superior educational opportunities to the community.

Any STCC alumni interested in getting involved in future sessions can contact Eunice Guidry, manager of Advancement & Alumni Engagement, at (413) 755-4475 and emguidry@stcc.edu.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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