Alumni Update | February 2024 |
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Alumni Q&A: Tiffany Skogstrom '96 |
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Tiffany Skogstrom '96
Director, Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance
In what ways has NECC helped you on your educational and professional path? I entered NECC thinking that I wanted to be an educator and left discovering that I wanted to pursue a life serving the public interest. At NECC I met other working class students who wanted to make a difference in the world and professors who were eager to help us find a path to get there. I absolutely felt the emphasis of ‘community’ during my time at community college... My professors were always drawing on current events, instilling in me an obligation to participate in my community and the democratic process to make this world a better place.
I would later come back to NECC as a MassPIRG campus organizer after graduating from the University of New Hampshire, where I got NECC students involved in local environmental activism surrounding incineration and recycling, registering students to vote, and gathering signatures to protect and preserve the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
What does a typical workday look like for you? My position requires me to oversee an office, talk with public stakeholders, collaborate with the two other partner agencies that implement the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA)... and keep on top of chemical policies. When I am not in a Teams meeting, I am using my time planning out how to most effectively implement toxics use reduction [strategies]. My work is a big, ongoing group project to put toxic genies, like per- and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), back into their bottle.
Anything else you'd like our audiences to know about you? It was at NECC where I discovered my love of rock climbing. I had only recently learned how to tie into a rope when I discovered that I could earn college credit through an NECC climbing class taught through the Lawrence YMCA. The class took trips to the cliffs of Den Rock Park in Lawrence, and taught me the safety basics which has since developed into a lifelong endeavor, gifting me perseverance and meditative reflection that transfers to my work ethic, while bringing me to the most beautiful places in the world. I bought a condo in North Conway, NH as my climbing retirement plan and have been a route setter, climbing instructor, and currently run a Ladies (+) Climbing Crew at the MetroRock climbing facility in Everett.
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NECC Alumna to Host Webinar |
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On March 19, career coach and NECC alumna Madeline Eames Keogh '13 will host "Passion is Overrated: Discover What Drives You," a free interactive webinar exploring the secrets to finding purpose in one's work and career. Through fun and introspective activities, participants will uncover what truly drives them, and how to use that insight to shape a meaningful career path.
Eames Keogh, a career coach and self-described "multipotentialite" who believes strongly in the idea of meshing one's varied interests in order to build a fruitful career, has worked in multiple sectors, including sign language interpreting, project management, and instructional design. She lives on the coast of Maine with her husband, Mike, and rescue dog, Otago.
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NECC Theater Presents Hurricane Diane: the Revival |
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From February 23 through 25, NECC will revive its nationally-recognized production of Madeleine George's "Hurricane Diane," which recently competed in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival as a Region 1 finalist.
The play follows the story of Diane, a permaculture gardener with supernatural abilities (owing to her true identity as the Greek god Dionysus), and her quest to restore the modern Earth to its natural state. NECC student Mirrorajah Metcalfe will reprise her titular role as Diane, starring alongside Gwynnethe Glickman, Olivia Barberian, Ana Barrera, and Jessica Newey '21.
Performances will take place on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. All event activities will be held in NECC's Hawrylciw Theater, located in the NECC Spurk building, 100 Elliott Street, Haverhill. Tickets can be purchased through the link below.
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Save the Date for NECC's Third Annual Giving Day |
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Last year, the NECC community came together to raise thousands of dollars during our campus's second annual 24-hour Giving Day celebration. This year, we're excited to do it all again!
Please save the date for Thursday, April 4, 2024, as we come together for a day of philanthropy, fun, and competition. With your dedicated support, we will surpass last year's totals, ensuring an even better campus experience for our students and community members. All contributions will directly benefit the NECC Fund, which secures a range of initiatives that are critical to student success, including our new internship stipend program.
Please stay tuned for updates on give-to-get prizes, and exciting new challenges!
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NECC Announces Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 |
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The Northern Essex Community College Athletics Department has named three new members to its Hall of Fame. Included in the class of 2024 cohort are Larry Fowle '03, Colby Maiola '16, and Sercan Fenerci '04.
Fowle, a former cross country standout, is the only NECC athlete ever to have broken the 27-minute mark for the 8,000 meter event. During his time at the college, he led the men's cross country team to a 10th place finish at the NJCAA Nationals.
Maiola, a former NECC Knights baseball player, was named NJCAA Player of the Year in 2016 after leading the Knights to their first-ever appearance in the National Championships, where they finished second.
Fenerci, a former member of the basketball team, starred for the Knights during their 2003 - 2004 season, earning First Team All-Region 21 honors as he finished fourth nationally. Fenerci currently serves as owner and CEO of the Providence Pirates.
A Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which is open to the public, will take place on March 20 at NECC's Haverhill Campus. Tickets can be purchased here. |
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NECC Career Services News
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Career Services has many resources to help alumni and current students explore, advance, or change careers. Email us at careerservices@necc.mass.edu to ask a question or to schedule a meeting.
Are you hiring? Jobs and internships can be posted on Handshake, our school's career services platform. Many colleges throughout the U.S. use Handshake, and sharing your opportunities is free and easy. Visit the Career Services website for directions.
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Elaine Barker '88 was featured in the Eagle-Tribune for spreading positivity in the community through faith-based literature.
Jamie Hellesen '02 has been selected as one of three employees to assume future ownership of Corinthian Events, a leading Boston event planning company.
Ralph Basiliere '08 was honored with the John E. Ratka Award at the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce's 33rd Annual Business Awards event. Basiliere is a Haverhill city council representative.
Noah Greenstein '18, a director and theater arts teacher, has been selected for the 2024 " Creative County ChangeMaker" program, led by the Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF). The program recognizes local cross-sector creatives with community-based project grants.
Congratulations to the following NECC alumni employees, who celebrated years of service milestones this year: Leonel Castellanos '05 (5 years), Martha Bixby '05 (15 years), Larry Rickabaugh '05 (15 years), Sheila Kane '01 (20 years), Eileen Hayes-Johnson '16 (25 years), Sharon McDermot '94 (25 years), and Linda Hudson '97 (30 years).
*Correction: in a previous edition of the newsletter, Jean MacDougall-Tattan was referenced as a former editor-in-chief of the Daily News of Newburyport. She was in fact the editor-in-chief of the Haverhill Gazette.
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Join Our Alumni Facebook Group: |
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Northern Essex Community College
Alumni Office
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