In February 2021, Northern Essex Community College alum Dr. Eric Dickson pledged $10,000 to the college and challenged the community to match his donation. The community stepped up and the permanently endowed scholarship fund is now over $70,000.
Dickson was in the Army Reserve and a student in NECC’s respiratory care program in the late 1980s. Though Dickson was unsure of what direction his future would take, Dr. Daniel Coleman, a pulmonologist and his respiratory care professor, recognized the young man’s potential and suggested that he consider becoming a physician.
After earning his associate degree in respiratory care from Northern Essex in 1988, Dickson went on to get a master’s degree from Harvard University and a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, fulfilling the promise that Coleman had noticed.
“He (Dr. Coleman) was the first person in my life who recommended that I go to medical school and become a doctor. His mere suggestion in that moment started my career trajectory, which culminated in my current role…I’ll always be grateful for Dr. Coleman’s encouragement that led me to where I am today,” said Dickson, who now is CEO of UMass Memorial Health in Worcester, the third-largest health care system in Massachusetts.
Coleman is retired from private practice but continues to serve as the medical advisor for NECC’s respiratory care program, a position which he has held for 35 years.
Alabama
An anonymous benefactor has donated $200,000 to Gadsden State Community College’s Cardinal Foundation.
“We are so appreciative of the anonymous benefactor who is giving so generously to Gadsden State students,” said Mark Condra, foundation president. “This is certainly a unique, unprecedented opportunity to be able to give local students financial assistance to advance their education and career opportunities.”
The funds will help to support students in workforce readiness programs, provide leadership scholarships for student leaders, and help grow the Cardinal Emergency Fund.
Arizona
The Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation (MCCCF) has received a $25,500 grant to help students struggling with food insecurity. The grant came from Kroger Co. Foundation, in partnership with Fry’s Food Stores, as part of Kroger’s Zero Hunger/Zero Waste social impact plan to end hunger in communities and eliminate waste across the company by 2025.
“We want students to focus their efforts on studying and achieving great results rather than wondering where their next meal will come from,” said Monica Garnes, president of Fry’s Food Stores.
The grant will provide more than 500 students with a $50 grocery gift card, or fund 10,200 meals valued at $2.50 each to students in need across all 10 of the Maricopa Community Colleges.
This is the third grant MCCCF has received as part of this program.
Connecticut
Manchester Community College has received a $145,000 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant to spearhead a project that will create a digital reader of art history essays. Authored largely by scholars who identify as BIPOC (Black, indigenous and people of color), the essays will feature global historical perspectives, as well as the art and histories of traditionally marginalized communities.
This project will be released as an open educational resource (OER) and published on the Smarthistory website.
“The reader will be available fully online and free of charge, eliminating any financial barriers to access that traditional textbooks pose to community college students nationwide,” said MCC associate professor Olivia Chiang, who will serve as the project director and publication editor of the digital reader for courses in art history and related humanities fields.
New Hampshire
The Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges has received a $1 million gift from Anna Grace and Paul Holloway to establish an endowed scholarship for students enrolled at any of the state’s seven community colleges.
“The opportunities that will shape New Hampshire’s future are complex and uncertain, but it is clear that the wellbeing of our citizens and the vitality of our communities will depend on engaging individuals so they can fully and successfully contribute,” Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) Chancellor Mark Rubinstein said. “The Holloways’ gift recognizes the important role that CCSNH will continue to serve in nurturing that talent and in building bridges for New Hampshire’s future.”
The private donation is the largest in the history of CCSNH. It is the culmination of a long philanthropic relationship between the Holloways and CCSNH. Paul Holloway has served on CCSNH’s board of trustees for more than two decades.
Not only will the gift provide students with financial support to attend college, but a secondary goal of the gift is to inspire others to support New Hampshire’s community colleges and their students.
“Community college graduates are on the front lines of healthcare, staffing our police and fire departments and helping all of us live better lives. Making their education more affordable is the least we can do to support and encourage them,” Holloway said.
