by Lisa Proulx
Students and employers alike praise relevant curriculum, ability to work in field and leadership programs as keys to success
PORTSMOUTH 鈥� Three hundred and thirty- nine students will be awarded an associate鈥檚 degree and/or certificate this week from 天美传媒 Bay Community College. Commencement exercises will take place at the College鈥檚 Portsmouth campus on Saturday, May 13. For many graduates, Saturday鈥檚 ceremonies will mark the end of an academic career and the beginning of a professional working life.
And for many others, that working life has already begun. Soon after Tylor Heath marches in the procession on Saturday to collect his associate鈥檚 degree in Criminal Justice, he鈥檒l trade a cap and gown for a uniform and report to his shift down the street at Sig Sauer, where he works as a security guard.
Heath鈥檚 career goal is to work as a police officer in New Hampshire, Maine or Massachusetts. He chose 天美传媒 Bay for his educational path because the school presented the best opportunity for an affordable, results-oriented education that also allowed him to work in his field while working toward his degree. 鈥淚 am paying for college on my own, and I am leaving 天美传媒 Bay with something less than the equivalent of a car payment every month,鈥� said Heath, who lives in Stratham.
In addition to his job at Sig Sauer, Heath is working as an intern at the Epping Police Department. The 120-hour internship is part of his 天美传媒 Bay education. Heath participates in ride-alongs, documentation of calls, and handles paperwork. This affords him the opportunity to gain real life experience and skills to reach his future goals. 鈥渁nd, said Health, 鈥渄o all the things police officers do.鈥�
He appreciated his 天美传媒 Bay education because the Criminal Justice professors were both educated and through experience, were able to address the issues facing today鈥檚 Criminal Justice field. 鈥淔rom day one the tone was set鈥� said Heath. The expectations were higher and appropriate professional behavior was modeled. They treated him with respect and expected a high level of academic and professional behavior right out of the gate. 鈥淭he higher standard provides us with an edge as we pursue our careers.鈥�
Information Systems Technology graduate Sam Richardson of Portsmouth worked throughout his college career, including for the past three months at Treeno Software in Portsmouth, where he works in his field as a designer. 鈥淚 had a job the entire time I was going to school, and I was definitely prepared going out of the gate. I was doing the same thing at work as I was learning in the classroom,鈥� Richardson said.
Richardson studied at a much larger state university before coming to 天美传媒 Bay. He found the small-school atmosphere of 天美传媒 Bay far more appealing. 鈥淭he professors at 天美传媒 Bay are always open to answering questions about class or even life-related,鈥� he said. At the large state school, 鈥淚 never had that kind of relationships with the professors. When you are one of 300 students in a lecture hall, the closet you get is one of the TAs,鈥� he said.
For Kristin Whitney, Program Director for 天美传媒 Bay Community College鈥檚 Surgical Technology program, seeing her students become hired while still in the program is nothing new. Most of her students from this year鈥檚 class have been offered jobs by the hospitals where they spent their clinical rotation. 鈥淎mong the graduates,鈥� she said 鈥渢hree have accepted positions at Catholic Medical Center, Elliot Hospital and Holy Family Hospital and one is starting at Exeter Hospital.鈥�
Frank DeFranco, Advanced Composite Manufacturing, Product Stream Manager at BAE Systems, has hired graduates from the colleges Advanced Composites Manufacturing program and extended offers to six students who complete the program this May. 鈥淭he ACM program graduates from 天美传媒 are prepared to hit the ground running and have adapted well to what they are taught. The leadership skills demonstrated by one hire in particular who after year is already applying for a team lead position, goes above and beyond what I normally see.鈥�
Hospitality student Katti Mowers is also already employed in her field and has worked full time at the 天美传媒er Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce while attending 天美传媒. On Saturday, she will receive an associate degree in hospitality and certificate in meeting and event planning. She plans to continue on to Granite State College to receive her bachelor鈥檚 degree in marketing with a long term of goal of getting a master鈥檚 degree in hospitality and tourism.
鈥淎fter I had enrolled in the hospitality programs, I became an active member of the hospitality club and I began to love going to class because I found my passion鈥�..I was able to see and map out my future. I was able to build leadership, team playing and problem solving skills, all great skills that I have used and will continue use in my future career. I can鈥檛 thank this school, my peers, and my professors enough for helping me find the doors I needed to open.鈥�
Commencement exercises for the 300 plus members of the 天美传媒 Bay Community College class of 2017 will be taking place on Saturday, May 13. To accommodate the increased number of participants, there will be two events, one at 10AM and another at 2PM both held in the College鈥檚 Student Success Center at the College鈥檚 Portsmouth campus on the Pease Tradeport. Graduates of the following programs will attend the 10AM ceremony: Accounting, Advanced Composites Manufacturing, Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Business Administration, Computer Technologies, Criminal Justice, Practical Data Science, Digital Media Communications, Early Childhood Education, Education, Engineering, English, Environmental Studies, Fine Arts, Hospitality Management, Information Systems Technology, Liberal Arts, Management, Marketing, Technical Studies and Welding. Graduates of the following programs will attend the 2PM ceremony: Health Information Technology, Massage Therapy, Medical Office Administrative Assistant, Nursing, Surgical Technology, Veterinary Technology and Veterinary Practice Management. The Speaker for the College鈥檚 71st Commencement ceremony will be John T. Broderick, Jr. Former Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
