8th Annual Alumni Hall Of Fame Gala A Success

On Saturday, November 19, the Housatonic Community College Foundation hosted the 8th Annual Alumni Hall Of Fame Gala at the campus Event Center. The spectacular event, which hosted keynote speakers Sonia Manzano and Peter Werth III, raised more than $20,000 in support of scholarships for needy students

With a theme of ‘Stay Close. Go Far,’ the evening was dedicated to scholarship awareness and the impact scholarships have on students creating a path to success. “Our students truly do go far. It’s not an easy journey, many have obstacles in their way,” said HCC President, Paul Broadie II. During the 2016-2017 academic year the HCC Foundation provided over $200,000 in scholarships to students with limited resources.

“This college serves the region and the quality is first rate,” said Christopher McCormack, President of the HCC Foundation. “The students here bring a seriousness to their studies. They’re here because they need to be; they are focusing on something that makes a difference in their lives.”

During the event four awards were presented. Benjamin Ortiz received the Distinguished Alumni award, Robin L. Avant received the Young Alumni Award, the Community Service Award went to Tiffany Teixeira, and Barbara and Carl Johnson were honored with the inaugural Friends of the College Award.

The highlight of the evening were the stories each award winner shared. Tiffany Teixeira graduated from HCC and went on to become a registered nurse at Yale New Haven Hospital and Miss CT USA 2016. “I got into pageantry so I could be around positive women role models. Growing up in Bridgeport with a lack of resources, it’s very hard to find people who believe in you. Thank you HCC for believing in me.”

Barbara and Carl Johnson shared how HCC helped their son, who had a learning disability, by creatively meeting his needs. “HCC is the most important resource this community has. We are so motivated to make sure that every kid with a financial barrier can be helped.”

Sonia Manzano, who played ‘Maria’ for 30 years on the hit PBS show ‘Sesame Street,’ shared how she used her difficult childhood to thrive, and congratulated HCC on their support of helping non-traditional students become successful.

“HCC students are in class with others who don’t share their cultural values, and that’s needed now more than ever. We need the brainpower of people who see the world differently than we do, it creates the opportunity to look at a problem from many diverse viewpoints,” she said.

Peter Werth III, founder and director of Himalaya Currents, which manages energy projects in Dolpa, Nepal, spoke of how he worked with students from inner-city Hartford to make an extraordinary impact half a world away.

“The kids from the Academy of Engineering and Green Technology create the solutions and feel a sense of pride in ownership. As the project develops, so does the kids’ self-esteem. It’s incredible to see them lined up on a Saturday morning to get into the building and get to work.”

Perhaps the evening was best summed up by State Senator Marilyn Moore, who herself attended classes at HCC in the 1970s. “It’s all about people, and doing the right thing. These scholarships have an impact on generations; impact on other parts of the world. HCC is a birthplace for so many good things to happen, it truly is a gem in the community.”

For more information about the scholarship program, or to make a donation, contact the HCC Foundation office at 203-332-5293. The Housatonic Community College Foundation is grateful for the generous support of corporate sponsors who made this year’s gala a success: Bigelow Tea, Pullman & Comley LLC, Hearst CT Media Group, jetBlue, Reynolds and Rowella LLP, People's United Bank, Premier Graphics, ANTINOZZI ASSOCIATES, Cohen and Wolf, M&T Bank, Edgerton Heating and Air Conditioning, Bridgeport Hospital, Communications Infrastructure Corporation, Newfield Construction, NN, Inc., The Rotary Club of Bridgeport, Michael Scott Financial, and media sponsors: Outfront Media and Trans-Ad Outdoor, LTD.