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MWCC’s Kimberly Cook to Receive 29 Who Shine Award

A standard headshot of Kimberly Cook in front of a white background.
Kimberly Cook will be recognized as one of Massachusett’s 29 Who Shine recipients at a State House ceremony on May 4.

Mount Wachusett Community College student Kimberly Cook has been named one of the Bay State’s 29 Who Shine in recognition of her strong academic performance and commitment to fellow college students who are parents.

“Kimberly is not only a standout student but is one of the founding members of the college’s Parent Support Group. The aid this group and Kimberly provide other student-parents is vital to boosting student success. I couldn’t be more pleased to congratulate her on this recognition of all her accomplishments,” said MWCC President James Vander Hooven.

The Fitchburg resident’s role as a founding member of the Parent Support Group continues to this day as she attends meetings, volunteers at events, and offers her support to her fellow student-parents. She is also an active and valuable member of the MWCC CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents in School) program since December, 2014. She said that her mentor Ann Reynolds, MWCC’s CCAMPIS Advisor, has been vital to her success.

“Ann Reynolds, to me, is one of the most genuine and kindest woman I’ve ever met. She has taken me under her wing and provided me with all the means to create a successful career of my education with 110 percent encouragement, guidance, and positivity. Ann has a very calm aura about her and I couldn’t have done all this without her help and her program CCAMPIS,” said Cook.

Cook has also served as the Student Government Association’s Sophomore Representative, Secretary for MWCC’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, is a member Sigma Alpha Phi National Leadership Society, and is a member of the Student Nursing Association. Cook is also very active within her community participating on the board of the Chair City Lions (CCL), an American Youth Football organization in Gardner, was recently a volunteer with the Wachusett Medical Reserve Corp, as well as a frequent volunteer at her children’s schools.

On top of all those extracurricular activities and being a mother to three children, Cook has has successfully navigated the very competitive nursing program at MWCC. Her current GPA sits at 3.59.

Cook’s future plan is to complete her Bachelor’s degree in nursing, possibly at University of Rhode Island. This will be an online program, and she plans to be working as a registered nurse while continuing along her educational path.

Cook will be honored at a ceremony at the State House on May 4 recognizing all 29 outstanding graduating students from each of the state’s 29 public colleges and universities, as well as each award recipients’ faculty or staff mentor. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker will distribute the awards to the students at the State House ceremony.