Alumni Stories
STCC helps launch educational journey for Demetrion family
Date: Wednesday, July 3, 2024
For the Demetrion family, STCC offered support and a quality education. Tom, Ed, and Jon Demetrion describe how STCC transformed their lives.
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STCC celebrates Class of 2024 at commencement ceremony
Date: Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Springfield Technical Community College held its 57th commencement ceremony at the MassMutual Center, marking a significant milestone for approximately 835 graduates.
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Three STCC alumni named to ’40 Under Forty’ Class of 2024
Date: Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Three Springfield Technical Community College alumni have joined BusinessWest’s “40 Under Forty” Class of 2024 in recognition of their career achievements and service to the community. STCC congratulates Shirley Arriaga, Jennifer McGrath, and Vilenti Tulloch for being named to the list of young, up-and-coming leaders in the community.
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Graduating nursing student finds support at STCC during family challenge
Date: Friday, May 3, 2024
As she was poised to start the second year of the nursing program at Springfield Technical Community College, Kristen Racine-Melendez received news no parent wants to hear: her 5-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia. Racine-Melendez considered dropping out, but with support from her family and STCC faculty and classmates, she found a way to continue pursuing a degree while juggling the pressing demands of her son’s illness.
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From STCC to educational leadership: The inspiring journey of Chicopee’s school superintendent
Date: Friday, April 26, 2024
Dr. Marcus Ware started his educational journey at a big university, but left and enrolled at Springfield Technical Community College, where he excelled. He reflects on the impact STCC had on his career.
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STCC graduate returns to apply his acting skills to help health students
Date: Sunday, April 21, 2024
At his job at Springfield Technical Community College, Deveir Cockett ’14 applies his degree from STCC in Digital Media Production Technology as well as his passion for acting to help students studying in a variety of health care disciplines, from nursing to respiratory care, to occupational therapy and more.
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STCC graduate finds inspiration to propel career and education forward
Date: Sunday, April 21, 2024
For Sinéad Murray ‘17, Springfield Technical Community College sparked a journey that brought her from Western Massachusetts to Washington, D.C., where she is focused on continuing her education and advancing in her career.
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Professor reflects on STCC’s profound impact on his career
Date: Thursday, February 22, 2024
When he accepted a teaching position at Springfield Technical Community College in 2013, Anthony Rondinelli knew he had come full circle – and in his heart he knew it was the right move. He's a class of 1992 graduate who is passionate about advancing the mission of STCC.
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In memoriam: STCC alumnus and former trustee Jeffrey E. Poindexter
Date: Friday, February 2, 2024
Springfield Technical Community College is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of alumnus Jeffrey E. Poindexter ’89, who served as Alumni Trustee to the Board of Trustees from 2010-2015 and was passionately devoted to the college.
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STCC student and graduate start internships at MassMutual
Date: Thursday, December 14, 2023
A Springfield Technical Community College student and an STCC graduate joined financial services company MassMutual in Springfield as interns this fall.
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Former student returns to STCC to ‘pay it forward’
Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Some students might see a little bit of themselves in Charlie Rosario, a financial aid counselor at Springfield Technical Community College. Rosario graduated from STCC in 2016 but admits he had a rough start when he started at the college a few years earlier. He was the first in his family to pursue a degree and didn’t know what to expect when he stepped foot on campus in 2012.
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Writer, illustrator, digital media expert got his start at STCC
Date: Monday, October 2, 2023
When he’s not busy working as a Content Origination Supervisor at Warner Brothers Discovery in Atlanta, Ga., Jeff Patterson might be conjuring up new stories for fantasy anthologies like the recently released “Fantastic Detectives.”
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STCC launched academic career for School of STEM’s new assistant dean
Date: Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Melishia Santiago first came to Springfield Technical Community College to take an English as a Second Language class. Her goal was to learn English and then pursue a college degree. Some 20 years later, Santiago has returned to STCC a bilingual professional with a doctorate and new position as the assistant dean of the School of STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology and Math). Dr. Santiago started the position in June 2023.
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Distinguished federal law enforcement career started with an STCC degree
Date: Tuesday, August 22, 2023
STCC alumnus David Drasin enjoyed a long, distinguished career in federal law enforcement that brought him all around the country and the world. He reflects on how his degree from STCC helped get him started.
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STCC helps jump start a second career in TV and film production
Date: Friday, August 4, 2023
STCC alumnus William T. Brooks earned his two-year associate degree in 2014 and has since worked as a production assistant on movie sets and has held technical jobs in the industry.
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STCC gave alumna tools to start business and explore the world
Date: Thursday, June 22, 2023
STCC alumna La'Tiara reflects on how STCC shaped her life and inspired her in her career.
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From STCC to working for global companies: Alumna reflects on ‘rewarding career'
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Margaret Millett '86, whose illustrious career includes leadership roles at global organizations, reflects on how she started her college journey at STCC. "I proudly tell people I am a graduate of a community college," she says.
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STCC provides a transformative experience for 2023 Dental Hygiene graduate
Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Two years ago, she committed to studying at Springfield Technical Community College with a determination to succeed. She will receive her degree in Dental Hygiene in May 2023 and is on track to start a rewarding career. She hopes to apply her skills to help those who are less fortunate in the community.
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STCC inspired entrepreneur to create retro video game business
Date: Friday, April 28, 2023
STCC alumnus Frank Bond '08 owns Stateline Video Games, with three locations. He specializes in retro video games, selling brands such as Nintendo and Atari, which were popular in the 1980s. He says STCC helped shape who he is today.
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STCC grads reflect on Architecture and Building Technology 10-year anniversary
Date: Friday, April 21, 2023
On April 23, 2013, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education approved Architecture and Building Technology as a two-year associate degree program at Springfield Technical Community College. “That was a great day,” Professor Warren Hall said. “We were approved after a seven-year process. Creating programs is something I love to do. I like to figure it out and find out how to get people through the door.”
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Mechanical Engineering Technology professor recalls days as a determined STCC student
Date: Friday, March 24, 2023
Lineisha Dominicci-Rosario was determined to persist and get her degree. It helped that she found a strong support system at STCC. Her professors reached out to help her succeed whenever she was struggling. She befriended another student, also a young woman, who became a study partner.
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STCC graduate finds her work at the college makes a difference in the community
Date: Wednesday, March 1, 2023
In her role at Springfield Technical Community College, Tamara Fricke feels proud to know she’s transforming lives, one grant at a time. Working as a grant writer at STCC is her way of giving back to the institution that inspired her and helped her succeed after receiving her associate degree in 2003.
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Early Childhood Education professor reflects on how STCC shaped her life
Date: Friday, February 17, 2023
Years after graduating from STCC, Lakisha Coppedge returned to her local college, accepting a part-time position that eventually became full time. STCC put her on the path to success, she explained, and she was thrilled to be back.
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At 84, STCC alumnus Ishmael Ali reflects on college’s impact on his life
Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2023
STCC alumnus Ishmael Ali reflects on the importance of STCC in the community and how the college shaped his own life.
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STCC Digital Media Production graduate applies classroom lessons to field work
Date: Thursday, January 26, 2023
Chris Jackson was able to succeed on the job in part thanks to his training in the Digital Media Production Technology program at STCC. He earned his associate degree in September 2020.
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STCC alumni, now married, make an impact on community
Date: Thursday, January 5, 2023
When he decided to go to Springfield Technical Community College, Vilenti Tulloch had no idea how his choice would transform his life in so many ways. At STCC, he met another student named Yeselie Mascaro, who tutored him. They became not only study partners, but close friends and today are married with three children. The Tullochs express gratitude for all that STCC gave them. STCC was the start of a long journey that brought them where they are today.
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They’re STCC alumni, married and on a mission to give back to the community
Date: Thursday, December 1, 2022
For Damion Harper ‘05 and Cindy Gaynor-Harper ‘09, Springfield Technical Community gave them the foundation they needed to succeed. STCC unleashed their creativity and drive to pursue a dream to be entrepreneurs while providing support and an affordable pathway to a degree. While they went to STCC at different times, they met in 2019, got married and went into business together.
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Springfield police officer looks back at his ‘Rowdy’ days at STCC
Date: Friday, November 18, 2022
Springfield police officer Eddie Sierra laughs when he remembers his days wearing the STCC "Rowdy the Ram" mascot outfit. He looks back on his good times at STCC and how it helped shape who is is today.
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STCC remembers Maurice G. Lindsay, alumnus and college trustee
Date: Thursday, November 10, 2022
Maurice G. Lindsay was remembered as a man who applied kindness and patience to all his endeavors, whether he was serving on the Springfield Technical Community College Board of Trustees, playing music on WTCC, 90.7 FM, or assisting people in the courts where he worked as deputy clerk. Lindsay, a 1992 graduate of STCC, died on Nov. 7. He had served as the alumni trustee on the STCC Board of Trustees since 2020. Giving back to STCC was one of his many passions.
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STCC prepped graduate for art school, fueled passion for fashion photography
Date: Monday, October 24, 2022
Kimani Worghs enrolled at Springfield Technical Community College for the same reasons many students cite: affordability, close to home, easy to fit classes around work and understanding instructors. All of that was true, but what he also found was a college experience that supported, deepened and strengthened his desire to pursue a career in fashion photography.
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STCC inspired educator Shirley Arriaga, a veteran and candidate for state rep.
Date: Friday, October 14, 2022
Springfield Technical Community College helped launch Shirley Arriaga's dreams. Arriaga ‘15, a political newcomer who in September won the Democratic nomination for state representative (8th Hampden District), returned to her alma mater on Oct. 12 to speak as part of the “We the Women” series, which celebrates achievements by female leaders.
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STCC Medical Laboratory Technician grad reflects on her rewarding work
Date: Friday, August 12, 2022
STCC grad Erica Bailey works as a lead medical lab scientist at Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer. She tests blood in the hospital’s lab to ensure it’s safe for people in need of transfusions. She and other scientists and technicians look for antibodies that might cause an adverse transfusion reaction. They also analyze specimens to determine blood types. She credits STCC with helping her to find a dream career.
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Alumni reflect on how STCC transformed their lives at inaugural planning session
Date: Monday, April 11, 2022
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.
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STCC inspired entrepreneurial spirit for Dave Brinnel, a television producer and entertainer
Date: Monday, February 28, 2022
Dave Brinnel, an entertainer and owner of Dave's Creative, graduated with a degree in Teleproduction and Multimedia Technology in 1982. STCC offers opportunities to receive a two-year degree, or one-year certificates. Students can enter the workforce or train for better positions after graduating, or transfer to four-year universities and colleges.
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STCC graduate followed dream to career in lasers
Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Michael Lefebvre was one of five graduates in 1979 from what is now the Optics and Photonics Program. In that program, he began his journey into a laser-based technology career.
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STCC graduate shines in CVS Health leadership program
Date: Friday, January 14, 2022
STCC graduate Kristiana Tadeo looked back at her days at STCC as an inspiring time that helped her develop skills she applies today. She enrolled at STCC after graduating from Chicopee Comprehensive High School.
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STCC graduate honored for decades of service to the television industry
Date: Sunday, January 9, 2022
Marc Rhinehart discovered a joy in television work while studying at STCC, where he was able to get hands-on experience and form bonds with professors. He recently was honored by his peers.
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STCC inspired financial consultant and entrepreneur to give back to community
Date: Thursday, January 6, 2022
Springfield Technical Community College offered Julius D. Lewis an opportunity to reinvent himself. His degrees from STCC put him on the pathway to a successful career in finance. He transferred from STCC to the prestigious Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
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Alumna returns to STCC to help students succeed
Date: Friday, November 12, 2021
When she was enrolled at Springfield Technical Community College, Karolyn Burgos Toribio believed in getting involved and helping fellow students thrive. She started a club for Black and Hispanic female students. She also served as student trustee, a key leadership role. She used to stroll around the campus green with a fellow student who is now her husband, Malachi Vivenzio. Burgos Toribio expresses nothing but warm memories of STCC.
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STCC prepared physician’s assistant for rigorous program at Yale University
Date: Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Mike Mayo's experiences at STCC confirmed its reputation was well-deserved. He graduated with an associate degree in Liberal Arts/ General Studies. Though a liberal arts major, he took many science courses at STCC (including while at Springfield College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree.) By the time he was in the 27-month PA program at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford, Mayo said he was completely prepared to handle the intensity of the program.
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STCC professor, alumna draw inspiration from leadership program
Date: Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Leadership Pioneer Valley recently celebrated 21 graduates who went through its intense, condensed virtual leadership program. Two of the 21 graduates – a Springfield Technical Community College assistant professor Aimee Dalenta and STCC alumna Kara Woolridge – reflected on lessons learned in the LPV’s leadership development program known as LEAP.
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Veteran’s path to Harvard University started at STCC
Date: Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Daniel Evrard, a grad student at Harvard University, describes how STCC helped him begin his higher education journey and inspired a love of learning.
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Working mom lands lucrative career in lasers after STCC
Date: Tuesday, February 2, 2021
Emiliana Rivas was one of the few female students in the Laser Electro-Optics Technology program (now called Optics and Photonics). She found support at STCC from her professors, and after graduating was sought by employers.
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STCC graduate discovers dinosaur species: ‘This is my passion in life’
Date: Monday, November 2, 2020
Sebastian Dalman, a Springfield Technical Community College graduate, loved playing with dinosaurs when he was a little boy living in Poland. Today, the extinct creatures that captured his childhood imagination remain a big part of his life. You might even say he now gets paid to “play” with them. He looks for bones and has discovered 17 previously unknown species. Some of his discoveries have been described and published; others await their formal description.
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Success at STCC: Frank Quigley reflects on service to college
Date: Friday, September 18, 2020
Frank Quigley enjoys giving back to the college that inspired him throughout his career. After serving for five years, he stepped down this year from his position as vice chairman and the alumni representative to the STCC Board of Trustees. Since 2010, he has served as a member of the STCC Foundation Board of Directors, including serving as president of the board. He continues to serve on the Foundation Board.
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STCC graduate named to BusinessWest’s ‘40 Under Forty’ list
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Dan Holmes, a Springfield Technical Community College graduate, was named one of BusinessWest’s “40 Under Forty,” a list of young, up-and-coming leaders in the community. Holmes, 37, who graduated from STCC in 2003, works as senior project manager for Tighe & Bond, an engineering and environmental consulting business in Westfield.
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Internship at Springfield Armory inspires STCC engineering graduate
Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Encouraged by Professor Beth McGinnis-Cavanaugh, her faculty advisor at STCC, Maeliz Colon applied for an internship at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site. She learned more about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) than she ever imagined.
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STCC Health Information Technology graduate lauded for outstanding achievement
Date: Wednesday, June 5, 2019
A Springfield Technical Community College graduate who came to the United States five years ago knowing very little English received two awards this spring for outstanding academic achievement.
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STCC graduate oversees construction work on nuclear submarine
Date: Friday, November 30, 2018
Tanner Glantz, who is responsible for overseeing the construction of a nuclear-powered attack submarine, credits his degree from STCC with getting his foot in the door at Electric Boat in Groton, Conn.
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STCC names mathematics professor as Distinguished Alumna 2018
Date: Friday, May 18, 2018
Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) named Myrta Colon Groeneveld of Longmeadow, a professor of mathematics at Manchester Community College in Connecticut, as Distinguished Alumna 2018.
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STCC says cheers to 50 years with ‘Brews and BBQ’ fundraiser
Date: Monday, September 25, 2017
STCC will hold a festive fundraiser at Tree House Brewing Co. on Sunday, Oct. 22. A ticket includes two fresh Tree House Brewing Co. beers during the event, food from B.T.’s Smokehouse in Sturbridge and live music by Feel Good Drift. The band and food truck will be set up near a giant outdoor pavilion on the secluded property.
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STCC graduate wins national championship in Greco-Roman wrestling
Date: Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Two days after wearing a cap and gown at STCC’s graduation ceremony, Donavan Lozada put on a wrestling singlet, competed in a national championship in Texas and captured first place in his weight class.
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STCC health information technology graduate wins achievement award
Date: Monday, May 22, 2017
Massachusetts Health Information Management Association (MaHIMA) offers the award to an outstanding student from any accredited health information technology or heath information management program. STCC’s program received accreditation in December, making a graduate of the program eligible for the first time this year.
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