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From My Desk: President & CEO, Dr. Aisha Francis
Franklin Cummings Tech is laser-focused on our mission to deliver transformative technical and trade education that leads to economic opportunity. This means filtering every opportunity for partnership and new programs through this lens to ensure our collective success. Every step of the way, our students are front and center as they navigate their academic journey and personal growth at the college.
This month’s Spark includes a focus on student life from various perspectives. You will find links to recent news stories that demonstrate how we go the extra mile for our students, teaching them the most advanced skills, helping them develop confidence, and guiding them into the workforce on the strongest footing possible.
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As an open-access college, we have added significant investment in our Reentry Empowerment Program (REP). The REP team works closely with justice-impacted and justice-involved students to provide a comprehensive suite of supports and services, including academic guidance, financial assistance, career coaching, legal services, and job placement. The result is graduates who have an entirely new and better life. As one REP participant told MassLive: “Education is key…The pattern is going to be a repetitive one, but if you go in and get skills and education, you come out and you’re more valuable to society.”
Many of our students are first-generation students from lower-income backgrounds. Serving students from underresourced backgrounds means the onus is on us to provide external support to help students navigate the complex process of financial assistance–including student loans and the responsibility this entails. The Boston Globe editorial page spoke with Vice President of Enrollment Services, Dr. Bryan Boppert, and me about how we work closely with students to help them understand the process of securing loans for their education and the strategies for repaying them on time. Making this a part of the overall learning experience at Franklin Cummings Tech allows our graduates to focus on their future without the burden of extra fees caused by delayed loan repayment.
Our choice to focus on student success is funded by a combination of public, private, and philanthropic supporters to whom we remain grateful. I hope you readers will consider supporting our work to ensure college affordability by participating in our Momentum Celebration on April 8. There are many other ways to contribute to student success, but scholarships lay the foundation that makes this college possible. Thank you in advance for helping us keep up our momentum!
Sincerely,
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Aisha Francis, PhD
President & CEO
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Announcing Senator Ed Markey as 2026
Commencement Speaker
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We are pleased to announce that our 2026 Commencement Speaker will be U.S. Senator Ed Markey!
Senator Ed Markey, a Malden native representing Massachusetts since 1976, has long championed first-generation and underserved students while advancing economic mobility for Boston communities.
He has been a steadfast federal champion for Franklin Cummings Tech, helping secure workforce and STEM education funding to demonstrate how federal dollars and tech education policy create local training pipelines and good jobs for students.
Throughout the years, he has advocated for the FC Tech model, bringing visibility and resources that support our mission of delivering transformative technical education that leads to economic advancement.
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This spring, our new campus welcomed hundreds of high school students for immersive, hands-on STEM experiences that introduce prospective students to careers in automotive technology, cybersecurity, and clean energy.
Twenty Greater Boston high schools joined Franklin Cummings Tech for Discovery Days, fostering early connections, boosting applications, and opening doors for students unsure of their career paths, especially first-generation and low-income youth, by offering these free events.
Thanks to all the faculty, Admissions, and Career & Co-op team members for engaging these prospective students with engaging, hands-on activities related to the majors offered here. We hope to see many of these prospects here as new students this fall.
Don’t miss the Fall Discovery Day schedule and other campus visit opportunities!
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In the News: Our Co-op and Apprenticeship Programs and Setting Students for Success
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How one Mass. college is helping formerly incarcerated people become students | MassLive
Reporter Juliet Schulman of MassLive recently highlighted Franklin Cummings Tech’s Reentry Empowerment Program, launched in 2025 to support formerly incarcerated students pursuing technical careers. The program provides individualized coaching, record-sealing assistance, and clear pathways to skilled trades.
Through partnerships with organizations like the Boston Pre-Release Center and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Franklin Cummings Tech is expanding access to education and workforce training, helping students successfully transition back into their communities and the workforce.
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Too many borrowers are falling behind on student loan repayment |
Boston Globe
In a recent Boston Globe article spotlighting student loan struggles, Franklin Cummings Tech was featured for our proactive steps in enhancing in-house financial aid counseling and new partnerships with IonTuition to help graduates repay loans efficiently, freeing them to thrive in their careers.
We were glad to engage with reporter, Shira Schoenberg, to share our supportive approach of equipping hard-working students with financial literacy skills along with solid career opportunities. Both are critical to student and alumni success.
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The Future of Education: Behind the Century-Old Vocational College Leaning into Work-Based Learning |
The Future of Education
President Aisha Francis joined Danny Curtis on the Future of Education Podcast to discuss how Franklin Cummings Tech is innovating to prepare the next generation of technical professionals through robust work-based learning.
The conversation also highlighted the development and expansion of the co-op and apprenticeship models, which help students to gain practical experience and earn income without extending their time to earn their degree.
Listen to the full episode here.
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Behind the Buildings: UG2 Develops the Next Generation of Skilled Trades Professionals
| | Eric Pimentel, HVAC student, and Eric Carr, Account Director at UG2 | | |
UG2 excels at keeping complex buildings running smoothly, and invests in the people powering that mission. Through its partnership with Franklin Cummings Tech, UG2 opens hands-on co-op opportunities in facility services, creating clear pathways to long-term careers for our students.
Eric Pimentel, a first-year HVAC student seeking his career path, joined FC Tech and landed a co-op placement at UG2. There, Eric supports building operations, gaining real-world exposure to systems that ensure facilities run safely and efficiently. His hands-on work includes checking systems, aiding maintenance, prepping for audits, and time in mechanical rooms and maintenance areas (the behind-the-scenes spaces critical to daily operations).
UG2 supervisors praise Eric’s professionalism, reliability, curiosity, effective communication, and positive attitude. He nails the details: arriving early to meetings, sending thank-you emails, and tackling tasks with enthusiasm.
“It’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever had,” Eric says. This co-op has given him invaluable experience, proven his skills, and set him on track for a full-time role and HVAC license after graduation.
Learn more about Eric’s story and our partnership with UG2 here.
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Michael Goldstein, chief innovation officer at Franklin Cummings Tech, participated in the SXSW EDU Conference & Festival earlier this month. This gathering brings together leading national and international voices in education to address today’s most pressing challenges.
During the panel entitled, “Winning the Wild West of Higher Education,” Michael Goldstein, Lisa Countryman-Quiroz of JVS, Ajita Menon of Calbright College, and Stacy Caldwell of CredLens explored how non-degree credential programs are thriving, using data to identify what works, expand opportunities, and reshape postsecondary pathways with faster, affordable, job-aligned options.
The conversation shed light on how to "do it right" in higher ed's emerging wild west and why letting these models flourish better serves today's students.
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Momentum Celebration: Wednesday, April 8
Join us at the Momentum Celebration this April 8th!
This event supports Franklin Cummings Tech students as they move from the classroom to meaningful careers. Funds raised will support student scholarships, which is a vital form of funding since more than 90% of our students have high financial need.
Your support helps create life-changing opportunities. Please join us for this meaningful night in celebration of our Momentum and help us keep it going!
| | AI and Authentic Learning at Franklin Cummings Tech | | |
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Daniel Ibarrondo, J.D., Ed.S., Ed.D., recently shared his expertise on using AI to transform educational assessment at the Instituto Profesional IPLACEX International Seminar on Quality Assurance in Online Education in Santiago, Chile. His presentation introduced an innovative framework to address a critical challenge in higher education: how to evaluate authentic learning when students work alongside AI tools rather than working alone.
Dr. Ibarrondo, together with Associate Professor Michelle Miller, Ed.D., will pilot the framework’s three evidence-based metrics in Franklin Cummings Tech’s online Business Management bachelor’s degree program, with the goal of creating a model that other institutions can adapt. We look forward to seeing the impact of this work on the future of teaching and learning.
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Meet The Franklin Cummings Tech
Second Marathon Team
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With the Boston Marathon just weeks away, Franklin Cummings Tech runners—backed by Schneider Electric, the Official Sustainability Partner of the Boston Athletic Association—are hitting the pavement to champion technical education and student success, one step at a time. This inspiring group shares stories of grit, growth, and giving back.
Learn more about these inspiring runners and their journeys and support their efforts with a donation to Franklin Cummings Tech's mission today.
Runners create momentum. Impact propels students.
Together, we build legacy.
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James Gronquist
James discovered running as a counter to night shifts, desk hours, and chronic back pain, sparking a mindset shift that fueled races, including his 14th Boston Marathon. A biotech pro and community college alum, he's fundraising for FC Tech's hands-on training mission: "The marathon combines two passions: education and running."
Read his full story here.
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Mike Havican
Chicago Marathon vet Mike is taking over Boston to support FC Tech students like those he’s seen thrive via hands-on paths at Schneider Electric, where he rose from help desk to data ops manager. "There’s no finish line when it comes to learning"—every mile echoes that belief in ongoing growth.
Read his full story here.
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Yaneli Rubio Hernandez
Army vet Yaneli ran her first half marathon abroad. Now, as a first-gen college graduate, engineer and Schneider supervisor, she preps for Boston while urging operators toward trade ed like FC Tech offers. GI Bill-powered degrees fuel her passion: "There’s an option out there for everyone."
Read her full story here.
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Elizabeth Turnbull Henry
Lifelong runner Elizabeth, whose career centers on advocacy, sees it as its own endurance test, much like the Boston Marathon's rewarding challenges. Inspired by President Aisha Francis, she champions Franklin Cummings Tech's transformative student impact, running to elevate technical colleges' role in economic mobility.
Read her full story here.
| | | | In Memoriam: Kevin Michael Bell | | |
We are deeply saddened to share the passing of Kevin Michael Bell, beloved former HVAC professor and Department Chair when our college was known as Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology. He served at the college for over 20 years, helping to strengthen a program that is now our largest by enrollment. He passed peacefully on March 1, 2026, at age 68, surrounded by family.
After working professionally as an HVAC technician, Kevin found his calling in education, inspiring generations of students with his outgoing style and gift for making complex topics accessible and fun. A U.S. Army veteran who met his wife, Martina Koch, while stationed in Germany, his passion for technical education embodied Franklin Cummings Tech's mission.
He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the generation of students he educated here at the college.
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