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MWCC Honors the Hard Work of 68 Outstanding Students at Evening of Excellence Awards Ceremony

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A personstands at a podoium in front of a bunch of people
Mike Eruzione addresses an audience full of students being honored at Mount Wachusett Community College’s Evening of Excellence Thursday night.

Mount Wachusett Community College celebrated the achievements of 68 students during its annual Evening of Excellence awards event last night.

“I stand in awe of the achievements that you have made both inside and outside of the classroom. Getting good grades is only part of it. You’ve distinguished yourself to a level that has caught the attention of faculty as well as your fellow students,” said MWCC President James Vander Hooven who explained that all the students worked hard to overcome various obstacles to get to this point. “You have earned this opportunity.”

The ceremony recognizes student accomplishments both inside and outside of the classroom, as well as in their communities. The ceremony gave time to each student, with faculty members telling a brief version of their story and what prompted them being honored. It became clear that many students balanced not only their school work but their personal lives and other outside obligations.

It is this hard work that guest speaker Mike Eruzione highlighted. Eruzione was the captain of the 1980 U.S.A. Olympic Hockey Team whose success against the Soviet Union and Gold Medal victory at the Lake Placid Olympics inspired many and was the basis of the Disney movie “Miracle.”

Although the team’s success was dubbed a miracle, Eruzione explained that it was actually built on hard work and dedication. Success doesn’t happen as the result of ability, but because of grit and determination. Much like the hard work that all the students put in to achieve their goals.

“This is the end result of your hard work, your determination and your dedication… It’s a process. It takes time. It takes work. It takes effort. It takes sacrifices. It’s little things that when you add them all up are the reason you are here and successful,” said Eruzione.

The following students were honored with awards:

Acton, MA

Young Lan Cho – Best of English 101 – 2nd Place

Ashburnham, MA

Brandt Bodley-Gomes – Biology Curriculum Award, Commonwealth Honors Program and President’s Key

Jacqueline Lane – John Burton Award

Lizabeth Velez – Roberts Scholar

Michele Walsky – Judge Moore Awards – Excellence in Writing

Ashby, MA

Brianna DiMattia – President’s Key

Nicholas Lutz – Jean Tandy Award

Athol, MA

Kara Champagne – Health Information Management Curriculum Award

Ariadne De Olveira Loss – Commonwealth Honors Program

Caitlin Goodbrake – Liberal Arts and Sciences Curriculum Award

Kateri Stewart – Early Childhood Education Career Curriculum

Ayer, MA

Benjamin Richard – Theater Arts Track Curriculum Award and Mount Observer Scholarship

Barre, MA

Katelyn Jefferson – Elementary Education Track Curriculum Award

Bolton, MA

Peter Hopkins – President’s Key

Cambridge, MA

Cheryl Locksley-Grant – Best of College Research – 3rd Place

Chicopee, MA

Matthew Cross – Fire Science Technology Curriculum Award and President’s Key

Clinton, MA

Dylan Doyle – James D. Murphy Scholarship

Ariah Miller – John Burton Award and Sandy Signor Award

Katharine Osborne – President’s Key, Physical Therapist Assistant Curriculum Award and Best of College Research – 1st Place

Fitchburg, MA

Blake Denmark – Robert Weibel Award

Brittany Gale – Craig Hamel Scholarship

Sean Krieger – Dean’s Key

Thomas Moser – Art Concentration Curriculum Award

Stephanie Pope – Best of English 101 – 3rd Place

Emily Robichaud – Alpha Beta Gamma Scholarship

Michaela Valois – Early Childhood Education Transfer Curriculum Award

Brittany Velez – Ellen Daly Dental Hygiene Scholarship

Gardner, MA

Cassparina Carlson – Judge Moore Awards – Academic Excellence, Commonwealth Honors Program and Human Services Curriculum Award

Nicole Leeper – Peter J. Trainor Leadership Award

Andrea Lystila – Melissa Herr Marsh Scholarship

Tristian Myers – Excellence in Mathematics Award

Hubbardston, MA

Matthew Brooks – Computer Information Systems Curriculum Awards and President’s Key

Henry Colebrook – Biotechnology/Biomanufacturing Curriculum Award

Lancaster, MA

Howard Chaput III – Aspasia Anastos Award

Leominster, MA

Dominique Berube – Commonwealth Honors Program

Fernanda do Canto Munari – Earth/Environmental Science Curriculum Award

Karim Hamza – Media Arts and Technology – Audio Engineering Concentration Curriculum Award

Aiman Mahmood – Carrie Progen Memorial Scholarship

Tremaine Pinnock – Interdisciplinary Studies Curriculum Award

Yasmine Quartey – Commonwealth Honors Program

Sophia Schlegemilch – Best of English 101 – 1st Place and Best of College Research – 2nd Place

Jacqueline Scribner – Accounting Concentration Curriculum Award

Brittany Waseleski – Art Curriculum Award and President’s Key

Autumn Wendel – H. Marilyn Kiosses Scholarship

Lunenburg, MA

Brett Hamel – Commonwealth Honors Program

Northfield, MA

Samuel Pustea – Exercise and Sports Science Curriculum Award

Orange, MA

Branden Burke – Interdisciplinary Studies – Allied Health Curriculum Award

Roger Dirth – Chemical Science Curriculum Award and President’s Key

Nicole Wetherby – Graphic Interactive Design Curriculum Award

Oxford, MA

Patrick Meehan – Natural Resources Curriculum Award

Rutland, MA

Chelsea White – Legal Studies Curriculum Award

Shirley, MA

Craig-James Mauro – Carl Tammi Award

Sarah Mello – Commonwealth Honors Program

Sterling, MA

  1. Frances Dunn – Biology Curriculum Award

Templeton, MA

Garrett Dora – Biological Science Track Curriculum Award

Suzanne Eglington – Alpha Beta Gamma Scholarship and Business Administration – Career Curriculum Award

Allison Guthrie – Physics or Pre-Engineering Track Curriculum Award

Townsend, MA

Katie Langone – Nursing Curriculum Award

Westminster, MA

Lisa Ferrara-Caron – Business Administration – Transfer and Commonwealth Honors Program

Corey McGrath – Keith Nivala Award and Criminal Justice – Law Curriculum Award

Winchendon, MA

Christian Rossi Jr. – Engineering and Physics Curriculum Award

Darlene Rossi – Interdisciplinary Studies Curriculum Award and President’s Key

Tim Sokhoeun – Commonwealth Honors Program

Worcester, MA

Dielhomane Louisgene-Stewart – Nursing – Evenings Curriculum Award

Chloe Wiseman – President’s Key and Medical Laboratory Technology Curriculum Award

Jaffrey, NH

Julia Van Houten – Pre-Law Track Curriculum Award

New Ipswich, NH

Kendra Draleau – Dental Hygiene Curriculum Award

Peterborough, NH

John Curran – President’s Key and Nursing – LPN Bridge Option Curriculum Award