October 27
Pictured, top, l-r: Lesley Peters ‘97, President; Lisa Tusinski ‘14, Vice President;
Donna Rosato ‘03, Secretary
Bottom, l-r: Julianne DiThomas ‘97, Treasurer; Nancy Barker ‘10 and Donna Spencer
Collins ‘99, board members
When the spring semester of 2020 began in January, never in our wildest dreams did we envisage that a worldwide pandemic would wreak havoc on all of the college’s plans. Almost overnight our amazing staff and faculty had to revise their work schedules and teaching methods from on campus to remote and online learning. With their support the Class of 2020 graduated on time and are now part of North Shore Community College’s Alumni Association. Congratulations to the Class of 2020 on an amazing achievement under the most difficult of circumstances! We are incredibly proud of all of you!
Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, we were unable to hold the normal in-person graduation ceremony but we did hold, and hope you were able to participate, a 2020 Virtual Commencement. (see next article, for link.)
2020 also allowed all of us to redefine who our essential workers are. Thank you to all our NSCC alumni essential workers: first responders, healthcare workers, grocery store employees, teachers, child care workers, and facility maintainers, to name just a few. So many of you have inspired us and now it’s time for our community to honor your service and sacrifice. We invite you to send us your pictures and stories (email nbarker@northshore.edu) of what life has been like for you during this pandemic and we will post those, with your permission, on our social media sites so that our college community can also thank you.
The Alumni Association has long supported our current students and alumni though our scholarship programs and we are committed to continuing that support through this ever-evolving time. We want to remind you that, as an alumnus, if you are continuing your education at a four-year institution, you are eligible to apply for one of four $1,500 Alumni scholarships given out annually. Please consider applying when the scholarship application process opens early next year. More details will follow as they are available. We also urge you to take advantage of the Liberty Mutual NSCC alumni discount. Details follow.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t touch on the Black Lives Matter movement. NSCC’s Alumni Association Board wholeheartedly joins NSCC in being committed to an inclusive, proactive and empowered culture where diversity is a guiding value, not just in theory, but in practice. We invite you to explore and examine some of the diversity initiatives taking place at NSCC, including the Equality and Equity Project, Here to Help, and the MALES Mentor Program.
Please stay safe and be well.
--Lesley Peters on behalf of NSCC’s Alumni Association Board