“Props, No Worries” — Gratitude and Grace Mark Goodwin’s Spring Scholarship Recognition Reception

Goodwin College Vice President for Advancement Brooke Penders had been momentarily confused when she listened to her children toss around the terms “props” and “no worries.” “Finally, it dawned on me that they were simply saying ‘thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome,’” she told the guests at the College’s Spring Recognition Reception, “and that’s what we’re here to do tonight.”

On May 11, scholarship recipients, their family members and friends, faculty, trustees, and donors gathered in Goodwin’s River Room to celebrate the spirit of philanthropy and the determination of students who are hard at work in career-focused programs, pursuing their degrees.

On behalf of all the scholarship recipients, Jordan Massa (BS, Health Science) spoke with gratitude of the scholarship support, “Now it’s up to us to turn our past challenges into our future successes.”

Selection committee and Foundation Board member Louise Fisher urged everyone present to make an effort to meet with the recipients before leaving. She stressed the challenging conditions that they strive under in order to advance their educations and how critical it is to participate in continued philanthropic giving. “Most of our students would not succeed without our support,” she said.

Donor-funded scholarship recipients included: Noemi Castro (American Eagle Financial Credit Union Scholarship), Jordan Massa (American Legion Scholarship), Deneen Bouchard (Frank and Celia Collins Endowed Scholarship), Shavonne Overton (East Hartford Woman’s Club Scholarship), Cristal Martinez (Scholarship for Future Nurses), Angel Ivery (Hoffman Family Endowed Scholarship), and Yolanda Collazo (Elizabeth Kilgariff Russell Endowed Scholarship). Goodwin College endowed scholarship recipients included: Rebecca Akey, Nicole Beaulieu, Kellie Brown, Denise Candelaria, Annamarie Cwilka, Yolana Collazo, Jacqueline Duclos, Heather Forbes, Aubrey Iacolino-Krah, Angel Ivery, Dawn Kirscher, Dwayne Mullings, Maria Mendrinos, Stacey-Lyn Roggemann, and Sirena Sawyer. Employee-giving scholarship recipients include: Rebecca Akey, Melissa DeSisto, Ashley Ellsworth, Alexandra Esposito, Regina Gaunichaux, Rachel Girouard, Rhonesia Henry, Alicia Larocque, Candice Lindsay, Dwayne Mullings, Jessica Quinones, Rebecca Rioux, and Alex Stagnaro.

To learn more about supporting Goodwin scholarships, go to www.goodwin.edu/giving (make live link) or contact Greg Jordan, Advancement Specialist, at 860-727-6969 or gjordan@goodwin.edu. View flickr album.