On Nov. 13, 2024, �鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College hosted the annual NHDOT Popsicle Stick Bridge Competition on its Concord campus featuring 43 teams from Concord High School, Gorham Middle High School, Hopkinton High School, Milford High School, Nashua High School South, Plymouth Regional High School, and Winnisquam Regional Middle School. Students poured into Sweeney Hall Auditorium laden with bridges created from nothing more than popsicle sticks, hot glue, and the imagination built from long hours studying bridge construction with an NHDOT engineer mentor throughout the fall term.

To test these bridges, students registered them with the DOT and then placed each end on a tall pillar rigged with a load distribution system. The team members � and in some cases, more � stepped onto a gangway used to measure load and �tested� their bridges� load capacity vs. total weight. The teams whose bridges could hold the most load with the least building material weight were declared the winners: This year, the winning teams were Hopkinton High School in first place, Hopkinton High School in second, and Milford High School in third.

The competition is part of the AASHTO STEM Outreach Solutions Program wherein individual state departments of transportation work with high schools in their state by providing the curricula and resources for the schools and bring engineers into classrooms to serve as speakers, teach a hands-on activity, and/or talk to students about the importance of math and science in preparing for their future.

And the high school students weren�t the only ones to get in on the fun. �鶹��ý students from the college�s Architecture and Civil Engineering Technology programs designed, machined, and built their bridges made from aluminum. Not a formal part of the competition but instead a showcase of what�s capable at a college level, these �鶹��ý bridges were built on campus by the students as part of the Steel and Timber Design course.

For a full report of the final weights, load capacities, and more, contact �鶹��ý�s Architecture and Civil Engineering Technology programs at vtcarter@ccsnh.edu

�鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College

�鶹��ý is a dynamic public institution of higher learning that provides accessible, rigorous education for students, businesses, and the community. We create pathways for lifelong learning, career advancement, and civic engagement, offering 80+ academic and workforce programs to over 3,400 students annually. �鶹��ý is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

CONCORD, NH � Film lovers will unite in more than 500 venues worldwide � including the �鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College campus � to view and judge the work of the next generation of filmmakers from around the world for the 27th Annual Manhattan Short Film Festival taking place Friday, Oct. 4 through Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. The festival screenings are approx. 2.5 hours in length and feature all 10 finalist films. This is the 21st year these screenings will take place at �鶹��ý.

�鶹��ý�s Film Society, together with local film enthusiast Barry Steelman, will present the festival, which features the most creative short films in the world judged��internationally��by the cinema-going public. Many of the films from past festivals have gone on to be nominated for Academy Awards. For more information on the films being screened, visit the festival website at��

�鶹��ý has a long, rich history of showing films to the community and region. The Manhattan

Short Film Festival annually kicks off the �鶹��ý Film Society�s season, this being its 23rd. The Film Society was started by former �鶹��ý President Lynn Kilchenstein, former English Department chair Diana Levine, and Professor Steve Ambra. �鶹��ý has served as host site for the Somewhat North of Boston Film Festival for several years and hosted the state�s young filmmaker�s festival. The society has screened over 225 films as part of its Friday Night Film Series.

The Manhattan Shorts are well attended by �鶹��ý students, faculty, and staff. Free admittance for �鶹��ý students has been the hallmark, particularly for those in film studies courses. Attending the festival enriches these students� studies.

For decades, Barry Steelman, has been known � courtesy of the Concord Monitor � as Concord�s �film guru.� For years he owned and operated Concord�s only independent film theatre, Cinema 93, and was the driving force behind the creation of Concord�s downtown independent film theatre, Red River Theatres.

�鶹��ý�s screenings will be held Friday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 5, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m. They will take place in Sweeney Hall Auditorium, S-122. Admission is $10.00 per person, cash or check, at the door.��There are no advanced ticket sales. �鶹��ý students (with their valid �鶹��ý ID) will be admitted free.

For additional information about the films being screened, contact Steve Ambra,��sambra@ccsnh.edu.

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�鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College

�鶹��ý is a dynamic public institution of higher learning that provides accessible, rigorous education for students, businesses, and the community. We create pathways for lifelong learning, career advancement, and civic engagement, offering 90+ academic programs to 4,600+ students annually. �鶹��ý is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire and since 1969 has been accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, a nongovernmental, nationally recognized accrediting agency.

You�ve walked through it, saw signs, and maybe even used the fitness center upstairs, but do you know the history behind the Goldie Crocker Wellness Center?

Named for Dr. Goldie Crocker, founder of �鶹��ý�s associate degree program in Nursing and former Nursing department chair (1969-1983), the Wellness Center opened in January 1996. Her idea � to consider students� past achievements in their formal academic pursuits � and her commitment to increasing accessibility to Allied Health fields were considered radical and impossible. But without them, �鶹��ý would not be the exceptional institution it is today.

Dr. Crocker�s Nursing program was the first of its kind in New Hampshire and is accredited by the National League of Nurses. Her goal was to create a program that prepared individuals for

licensure as RNs to bolster the number of N.H. nurses who provided high-quality healthcare support services. Using her experience leading the Nursing program at Northeastern University, Dr. Crocker designed the LPN-to-RN transition program at �鶹��ý to give students academic credit for their past education and experience.

On June 10, 1974, the first 10 candidates enrolled in Dr. Crocker�s 12-month LPN-to-RN transition program at �鶹��ý. She focused on ensuring that graduates would be indistinguishable from those who had completed �鶹��ý�s 2-year program. It did not take long for this program to flourish.

During her �鶹��ý tenure, Dr. Crocker grew her reputation as a wise professor whom students sought for advice. Outside of �鶹��ý, she served on the board of directors and advisory boards of state, regional, and national nursing groups and other health service organizations. This helped her stay on top of the most current nursing procedures.

In September 1983, former N.H. Governor John Sununu granted Dr. Goldie Crocker a commendation, the state�s highest level of appreciation and recognition, for her exemplary service and devotion to �鶹��ý. Less than a year later, �鶹��ý�s Administrative Council (a then-governing body of faculty and administration) voted unanimously to award Dr. Crocker the Distinguished Service award during the annual nurses� pinning ceremony.

�The award is usually presented during the commencement,� said former �鶹��ý president Dr. David E. Larrabee at the time, �but we know how important the Nursing students are to Goldie, so we decided to present the award to her at this very special nurses’ ceremony.�

She also received special commendation from the 22 graduating students � the first graduating cohort of students who earned their degrees through daytime-equivalent night classes.

�It is a tradition for nursing students to be pinned by people who were important to them during their time of nursing education,� Dr. Larrabee said. �The students in the EADN program all wanted Dr. Crocker to pin them. They received love, support, and encouragement from their families and friends, but they wanted to express a special feeling for the woman who designed the program to enable them to receive their pins and their associate degrees.�

Funding for the Goldie Crocker Wellness Center comes from the estate planning of Eleanor C. Sprole, a 1979 alumna of �鶹��ý�s Nursing program. After her death in 1982, Ms. Sprole�s family created a trust in her name earmarked for a new indoor physical fitness center at �鶹��ý.

Dr. Crocker passed in 1984, and her family donated to the Eleanor Sprole Trust Fund. The fund was later called the Sprole-Crocker Trust Fund, and it was used to create the Wellness Center we have today.

Held in �鶹��ý�s Sweeney Auditorium with hundreds of parents, faculty, and staff present, the awards ceremony featured individual plaques given to students in recognition of their achievements. Also included in the night�s festivities was an interactive display of student work, a curation of posters showcasing final research projects, known at �鶹��ý as capstones.

This year�s recipients are as follows:

• President�s Award: Spriha Paudel
• College Leadership Award: Rebecca “Becker” Gibson
• Lynx Awards: Elizabeth Aiken and Luana Tahtamoni
• Academic Achievement Award in General Studies: Sullivan Bono and Skyler Boudreau
• Award of Academic Excellence � ECE: Hannah Hastings
• Award of Academic Excellence � EYCD: Abby Smith
• Best Residential Program: Jasmeen Kaur and Jewel Mellor
• Christa McAuliffe Excellence in Education Award: Maria Jorgensen
• Education Achievement Award: Cutlas Greeley
• English Department Excellence in Creative Nonfiction Award: Fallon Rae Andrews
• English Department Excellence in Poetry Award: Sara Bibeau
• English Department Most Outstanding Writer of 2024 Award: Chloe Rattee
• English Department Excellence in Research Writing Award: Ainsley Rennie
• English Department Excellence in Analytical Writing Award: Skyler Boudreau
• English Department Excellence in Fiction Writing Award: Daisha Joyner
• English Department Excellence in Spanish Award: Caitlin Lomando
• ESOL Student Leadership Award: Johanna Keravich
• Excellence in Hall Council Leadership: Noah Burge
• Excellence in Leadership Award: Jillian Mars and Richie Thibeault
• Excellence in Liberal Arts Award: Becker Gibson, Robyn Prieto, Ainsley Rennie
• First Year Outstanding Business Award: Hannah Smith
• Second Year Outstanding Business Award: Isaac Swisher
• First Year Outstanding ESOL Student Award: Hoang Nguyen
• Second Year Outstanding ESOL Student Award: Mario Rmeily
• First Year Networking and Cybersecurity Operations: Seth Moulton
• Second Year Networking and Cybersecurity Operations: Sam Stafford
• First Year Outstanding Student Award in Architectural Engineering: Lorena Medina Diaz
• Second Year Outstanding Student Award in Architectural Engineering: Allyson Kitchens
• Future Educator Award: Christine Lank
• Goldie Crocker Award: Kailey Harrison and Jessica Perkins
• Langley Hall Resident of the Year 2024: Foley Eaton
• South Hall Resident of the Year 2024: Eris Cantadori
• Resident Assistant of the Year Award 2024: Lillian �Eddie� Edmond
• �鶹��ý AMATYC Student Mathematics League Award: Garima Rastogi
• �鶹��ý Lynx Athletics Department Award: Alexis Christensen
• Outstanding Accounting Senior Award: Chloe Kirby
• Outstanding Senior Landscape and Environmental Design Award: Matt Wagner and David Pantling
• Pamela M. Langley Award: Christopher Roy
• Radiologic Technology Faculty Award: Jenna Bolduc
• Russel Kay Award: John Britton Jr.
• Senior Mechanical and Manufacturing Award: Patrick Herman
• Senior Outstanding Computer Engineering Technology: Luke Christensen
• Sports Management Outstanding Freshman Award: Joseph Gutierraz
• Sports Management Outstanding Senior Award: Matt Fortier
• The Andrea M. Jordan Award: Alexis Wessels
• The Cheryl M. Kellogg Award: Matthew Blair
• The Herbert A. Sewade Award: Ronda White
• The Jaqueline A. Rendo Award: Cameron Delisle
• The Jean-Franklin Cardiology Award: Timothy St. Germain
• The Loretta Hart Mathematics Award: Farhaan Siddiqui
• Valerian Thurston Memorial Award: Austin Mahoney
• Visual Arts Exceptional Performance Award � Freshman: Emma Blake
• Visual Arts Exceptional Performance Award � Senior: Del Porter
• William H. O’Clair Athlete of the Year Award: Adrienne Dorr and Matt Fortier
• Zech DeVits Service Award: George Hoffman

Congratulations to all our 2023-2024 award recipients!

The paper, �Genome Sequence of Arthrobacter globiformis phage MaGuCo,� introduces the reader to MaGuCo, a temperate phage isolated from a soil sample collected in Alton, N.H. The authors identified the phage�s genome as containing more than 43,000 base pairs.

Two of the students, Amanda Diggins and Rachel Pitt, have spent their academic year focusing on research for the INBRE, or IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence. Amanda and Rachel have been previously cited in , the National Institute of Health�s genetic sequence database and an annotated collection of all publicly available DNA sequences, as a result of the work they completed in �鶹��ý�s Genetics course in Fall 2022.

�These students� research contributes to the growing field of biomedical research,� says Dr. Patrick Tompkins, �鶹��ý president. ��鶹��ý inspires and prepares students for the coming age of scientific research.�

Beth Wilkes, professor in �鶹��ý�s Department of Natural Sciences, said, �These students accomplished excellent work, and their achievements have been recognized. �There are already plans to continue their research and produce more publications.�

�鶹��ý has earned its reputation for excellence in STEM programs. Opening in 1965 as New Hampshire Technical Institute with three engineering technology programs, �鶹��ý excels in preparing the next generation of academics, researchers, and workers for the rigors and rewards of work in their chosen STEM fields. The school, whose name changed in 2008 to reflect a larger academic focus, offers both 2-year degree and certificate programs with transferable credit opportunities to 4-year institutions.

To learn more about �鶹��ý�s biomedical research programs, including , , and , visit catalog.�鶹��ý.edu.

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�鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College

�鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College is a dynamic public 2-year college that provides rewarding academics and a full campus experience for students, businesses, and the community. �鶹��ý offers 80+ academic programs to 4,600+ students annually. Our programs include Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Engineering, Liberal and Visual Arts, Education, Criminal Justice, and Mathematics, all with our stellar reputation for academic excellence earned over our more than 50 years serving the Concord community. �鶹��ý is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education�� and is part of the Community College System of New Hampshire.

CONCORD � Kindness comes in all forms on �鶹��ý�s campus. From a held door to a bright smile, us Lynx pride ourselves on making everyone on campus feel welcome. One student, though, has spent this academic year going above and beyond for his peers, with no fanfare or acknowledgement. In fact, when asked if he would be willing to participate in this profile, he blushed and exclaimed, �Me? Why me?!�

His name is Tom LaBerge, he is a Business Administration major, and his generosity and spirit have led him to perpetrate random acts of kindness that have sent ripples through �鶹��ý�s Student Center. Everyone from faculty to staff and admins have seen and often benefited from his quiet, unassuming contributions on the student body.

His gifts are neither lavish nor expensive, but sometimes it�s the little things that can make the biggest impacts. It started with a giant bag of Halloween candy on the Info Desk, then it was random boxes of cookies on the fireplace, chocolates on Valentine�s Day, and bakery-fresh cinnamon buns, all set out for anyone to freely enjoy with only an accompanying note: �Take what you want and have a great day! Tom.�

So let�s finally get to know �鶹��ý�s nearly anonymous student benefactor � the bearer of sweet treats and enthusiastic Lynx pride that deserves to be recognized.

Everyone, Meet Tom � Tom, Meet Everyone.

LaBerge is from a small N.H. town called Alexandria. He was adopted from Guatemala when he was 8 months old, and he spent his high school career at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, where he also gave out treats to his fellow students.

�Ever since I was a baby, I always put a smile on my family’s faces,� he says. �I�ve always loved giving encouragement and helping those who are struggling with life. I try to reach my hand out to let people know that they’re not alone in this world.�

As it often happens in stories like his, LaBerge�s desire to help others came as he himself emerged from a place of internal turmoil. His notes around campus always contain the wish that people �do what makes you smile� � a personal mantra LaBerge learned from a difficult period in his life.

�I went through a dark path in my life prior to coming to �鶹��ý,� he explains. �It felt like a huge mental war � and I decided to leave people who I thought were friends behind me. I tried to go after the situation on my own, and I couldn�t see that I was making bad choices. I wasn�t sleeping, was rarely eating, and I was experiencing tunnel vision. The thing that was in my head was that it was all my fault � and I let it become my burden.

�I started to push people close to me away so I wouldn’t get them involved or hurt. But they helped me realize that I don’t need to do everything alone, and that I have people by my side who will always help me when I’m struggling. It inspired me to tell other people who are feeling the same thing that you’re never alone, and that being yourself is what makes life better.�

To help deal with the trauma, LaBerge is currently writing a fictional book that explores the themes and experiences of his past. This cathartic journey has led to introspection on how to deal with bullies and to express his emotions in a new way.

�When I walked into �鶹��ý, I met new people on the spot, and that�s when I realized that I should never take on such big burdens in just one soul. There isn�t a single building built with only one beam.

�The students here are working very hard, and the classwork can be overloading. I�m just trying to ease that stress and encourage everyone to do something fun. Sure, it�s just one little treat, but it�s more for me on a deeper level. A lot of people don�t feel special, but being yourself and letting people love you for that is what makes you special.�

�鶹��ý has been the place where LaBerge is finally coming into his own and embracing himself. His plans are to follow in his father�s footsteps, earning his Business Administration degree and then transferring to UNH to get his bachelors and master�s in Business Analytics.

�When I walk through the �鶹��ý doors, I know that this is my college, and that this is my education,� he says, �but what makes me happiest is knowing that this is my place. This is the place where I feel at home, and where I�m proud to be.�

And he doesn�t need any accolades.

�When I see people from afar take a treat and smile, that�s the only thanks I need. Their smile makes me smile � and it makes me feel wonderful. The word �community� in the school name says it all � when we work together as a community, we all make the world a better place.�

So, why Tom LaBerge? Because, sir, you have brightened days, filled empty bellies, and spread kindness in a way that makes every single person at �鶹��ý feel welcome and seen. Hopefully, your generosity of spirit will be an inspiration for future �鶹��ý students. Thank YOU.

CONCORD �Four �鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College students�Riley Weeks, Chloe Rattee, Jacob Dolley, and Ainsley Rennie�competed in the first CCSNH American Revolution and Constitutional History (ARCH) Quiz Bowl last week. The winning team consisted of a combination of �鶹��ý and Nashua Community College students including Weeks (General Studies) and Rennie (Liberal Arts).

This inaugural event, held at Manchester Community College on Friday, April 5, 2024, featured preliminary rounds of historical trivia and a final round of competition in a Jeopardy-style game format. Each campus in the Community College System of New Hampshire, of which �鶹��ý is a part, participated.

The combined �鶹��ý/NCC team took first place. NCC�s team members included Adrian Tkaczyk (English) and Blair Shewan (Biological Sciences), in addition to Weeks and Rennie. Faculty advisors to the winning team included �鶹��ý professors Dr. Stephanie Roper, Dr. Stu Wallace, and Dr. Paula DelBonis-Platt.

The ARCH Quiz Bowl��was made possible through a legacy grant by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Students from GBCC, MCC, NCC, and �鶹��ý participated in what organizers hope will become an annual event.

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�鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College

�鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College is a dynamic public 2-year college that provides rewarding academics and a full campus experience for students, businesses, and the community.���鶹��ý offers 80+ academic programs to 4,600+ students annually. Our programs include Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Engineering, Liberal and Visual Arts, Education, Criminal Justice, and Mathematics, all with our stellar reputation for academic excellence earned over our more than 50 years serving the Concord community. �鶹��ý is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the NE Association of Schools and Colleges and is part of the Community College System of New Hampshire.

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CONCORD � Something beautiful must be in the water at �鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College: After our bio of Jillian Mars, two additional Miss New Hampshire candidates came forward wanting to tell their stories. Rose McKeen is in the Business Administration program at �鶹��ý, with plans to own and operate a dance studio, and Xanthi Russell is currently enrolled in �鶹��ý�s Paralegal Program with plans to graduate in 2025.

So what makes �鶹��ý such a destination for these smart, capable young women to begin their career? We�ll let them tell you in their own words.

Tell us about what in your life brought you to �鶹��ý. Why did you choose us?

ROSE: I choose �鶹��ý because I wanted to attend college without having to worry about expensive college fees. I wanted to stay close to home and be able to pay for college myself. Luckily, I�ve been able to use my Miss New Hampshire scholarships and pay off all of my community college fees.

XANTHI: After initially pursuing a more traditional college experience and feeling stifled yet eager to enter the workforce, I made my way to �鶹��ý. I feel rejuvenated and have grown to love this community of faculty. They are invested in each student receiving a high-quality education that appropriately prepares them for the real world.

What made you want to compete for Miss NH?

ROSE: In 2017, I was scrolling through channels with my best friend, and we stumbled across Miss America. The women were so passionate about their community service, and they were talking about how they haven�t had to pay for college. The next day I went online and signed up.

XANTHI: I began competing 6 years ago. I was drawn to the program�s emphasis on leadership and onstage performance. As a 4-H alumna, I grew up with community service, public speaking, and leadership ingrained into me. I also grew up dancing competitively, singing and performing in musical theater. The Miss New Hampshire pillars of scholarship, service, style, success, and sisterhood keep me coming back year after year.

What kinds of community service activities do you participate in on campus?

ROSE: One thing I love about �鶹��ý is that there�s always some community service going on! One of my favorite things at �鶹��ý is the Lynx Closet, [�鶹��ý�s free resources for students who need business-appropriate attire as they begin their careers]. Competing in the Miss America opportunity, I have so many clothes, so to be able to give back and donate them is super special to me.

XANTHI: I�ve participated in �鶹��ý�s Lynx to Leadership Summer program for the last two years and am looking forward to helping to plan it this year. I�ve enjoyed developing my leadership skills to better our school through service projects each year.

Why is public service so important to you?

ROSE: Service is so important to me because we wouldn�t be here without it! My community service initiative is all about breaking the stigma around eating disorders. I donate care packages to those affected by eating disorders, and I have seen the impact it has on them. I am also visiting health classes and talking to students about body positivity and eating disorder prevention, and I have had students have said that my presentation has helped them tremendously!

XANTHI: The term �servant leadership� has been in my vocabulary for quite some time. I consider myself a joy junkie who thrives on helping others, and I believe that leading through service is one of the best ways on Earth to set a good example. In the last year, I’ve completed over 800 hours of community service, and I look for every opportunity to connect with and help others. I�ve been formally participating in community service projects since age 8 including leading 3 international Humanitarian trips to Peru with Generations Humanitarian and speaking to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Board in Washington D.C. regarding teen relationship abuse.

If you could tell someone about your community college experience, what would you tell them?

ROSE: I would tell them to enroll! When I first enrolled at �鶹��ý, I thought I would simply go to class and do my work, and that I would never make any friends. But this truly is a community. I�ve met my best friends here, and it seems scary at first but I promise you community college is worth it. �鶹��ý truly sets you up for success so you can go on and pursue your dreams.

XANTHI: Much like pageants, there remains a misconception around the community college experience; unfortunately, people don�t always see the true value of a community college education compared to that of a traditional 4-year university. The truth is that I have felt more fulfilled, more engaged, and more connected by learning at �鶹��ý. Having experienced both styles of learning environment, I can say with all honesty and enthusiasm that I wish I had started my educational pursuits here.

The Miss New Hampshire scholarship competition features 26 women representing their local communities throughout the state. The event will take place in April 2024 at the Stockbridge Theatre on the campus of Derry�s Pinkerton Academy. For more information about the event and how to attend, visit .

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�鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College

�鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College is a dynamic public 2-year college that provides rewarding academics and a full campus experience for students, businesses, and the community.���鶹��ý offers 80+ academic programs to 4,600+ students annually. Our programs include Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Engineering, Liberal and Visual Arts, Education, Criminal Justice, and Mathematics, all with our stellar reputation for academic excellence earned over our more than 50 years serving the Concord community. �鶹��ý is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the NE Association of Schools and Colleges and is part of the Community College System of New Hampshire.

When seven members of the same family attend the same college, a legacy of achievement is created that showcases not just tradition but a proven track record of success. For the Roberts family of Northfield, NH, �鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College is truly a family success story.

�Almost my entire family � almost my entire household � has attended �鶹��ý,� says Marcia Roberts. As the matriarch of this blended family, Marcia has seen six of her children and her husband, William Mikels, attend �鶹��ý.

The path began with William. At 51 years old, he�d been working as a machinist for 30 years and was told by his employer that a degree would help him achieve his goal of advancing into a management position � a promotion with a raise included. This upskilling opportunity led him to �鶹��ý, where for the past 4 years he�s been taking one class at a time, working toward his associate degree in .

Watching William�s success, the family�s six children have followed suit. Marcia at first was concerned with cost, having spent her adult life paying back her accumulated college loans spent on her bachelor�s degree.

�One of the things I didn’t want was for my kids to have that same struggle,� she says.

With William�s decision to upskill at �鶹��ý, Marcia got a great look at the affordability of the community college education. �鶹��ý offers a quality education, with expert professors who�ve worked in their fields, which helps produce successful alumni with a strong sense of community. �鶹��ý provides accessible education at the lowest cost-per-credit tuition in the state, which allows students to achieve their dreams without the burden of overwhelming student debt.

Each of the Roberts� children has had their own unique learning experience:

• Clark attended Plymouth State University and found that taking summer courses at �鶹��ý helped him finish his bachelor’s degree in 3 years instead of 4.
• Cameron graduated from �鶹��ý with an associate degree in in 2017 and is working with William at an engineering firm.
• Cody graduated from �鶹��ý with an associate degree in in 2018. He then spent three years at Southwick School as a computer teacher and currently has a video games available on Google Play.
• Susan also attended Plymouth State for two years before switching to �鶹��ý�s
• Joy graduated early from high school and studied at �鶹��ý. She graduated in 2020 and works as a universal banker with Meredith Village Savings Bank.
• Caelan, now just 17, also graduated a year early from high school at the top of his class. He just completed his first year at �鶹��ý in the

For Marcia, she believes �鶹��ý is now part of her family history. She understands the value and importance of education so much that she might also end up at the college someday, too.

�I am working on my Ph.D., and I would love to teach there someday,� she says. �It’s such a nice school, and we’ve had such a good experience as a family.�

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�鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College

�鶹��ý is a dynamic public institution of higher learning that provides accessible, rigorous education for students, businesses, and the community. We create pathways for lifelong learning, career advancement, and civic engagement, offering 90+ academic programs to 4,600+ students annually. �鶹��ý is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire and since 1969 has been accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, a nongovernmental, nationally recognized accrediting agency. Visit for more information. To learn more about the �鶹��ý Athletics programs, contact Berkley Stevens at bstevens@ccsnh.edu.

CONCORD�Samuel Morris always knew he wanted to be a chef. Born in China and raised in Missouri before settling in New Hampshire, Morris� multicultural upbringing significantly influenced his culinary perspectives. Fond memories of cooking lemon shrimp pasta with his grandmother and bonding with his father over food and country music laid the foundation for his belief that food brings people together in delightful harmony.

With his unwavering passion for the culinary arts, Morris understood the importance of a comprehensive education, even if it meant exploring general education requirements before moving to NYC�s Hyde Park and attending the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). In Fall 2022, Morris enrolled at �鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College as his stepping stone toward his ultimate goal. This strategic move equipped him with a broader skill set and made his aspirations more financially attainable.

As part of his journey, he spent a year working as a line cook at the Holiday Inn, a job that provided invaluable hands-on experience, preparing him for the pressure of a professional kitchen. His desire to manage the back of house (the kitchen) for a prominent urban restaurant via the CIA was an intentional decision driven by its reputation as a leader in the field. His preference for culinary arts over baking and pastry, combined with his aspiration to explore hospitality management, reflected his versatility and willingness to adapt to the ever-evolving demands of the industry.

His culinary journey highlights the pivotal role �鶹��ý played in shaping his path. Guided by Shana Rowe, an �鶹��ý admissions counselor and teacher, Morris learned the significance of evaluating every opportunity that came his way. �鶹��ý facilitated Samuel’s decision-making process and empowered him to consider the bigger picture.

Morris� dream of becoming an executive chef at a Michelin-star restaurant remains a focal point as he embarks on a new chapter in life. His insightful perspective on the culinary industry, drawn from real-world experiences, is a testament to his dedication and authenticity.

His journey reminds all students and learners that the pursuit of passion and a balanced, informed approach lays the groundwork for a fulfilling and successful future.

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�鶹��ý � Concord�s Community College

�鶹��ý is a dynamic public institution of higher learning that provides accessible, rigorous education for students, businesses, and the community. We create pathways for lifelong learning, career advancement, and civic engagement, offering 90+ academic programs to 4,600+ students annually. �鶹��ý is a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire and since 1969 has been accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, a nongovernmental, nationally recognized accrediting agency.