Tackle the Trail: A Unique Race in a Unique Place
(Even More Unique This Year!)

We are RUNNING! Tackle the Trail will be held on-ground and virtually on Saturday, October 17, 2020. The race is open to individuals and up to five-person relay teams. Runners will enjoy the quiet solitude of nature with bursts of energetic and supportive volunteers at four relay stations throughout the 20-mile point-to-point race, which starts in Windham and ends in Pomfret, CT. Other highlights include great prizes, SWAG, and the most important part: knowing that proceeds help local students attend Quinebaug Valley Community College in the form of scholarships!

Virtual Race: Not comfortable running on-ground? Join us virtually! Enjoy the chance to compete on your own 20-mile course over a two-day period wearing a downloadable bib. Know that you are supporting a great cause too…helping local students attend college!

For more information about the race and to register, visit tacklethetrail.org.

Congratulations to all 2020 QVCC Foundation Scholarship recipients! The QVCC Foundation is pleased to award over $140,000 in scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic school year. Thank you to our all of our donors who continue to support students in Northeast Connecticut and allow them the opportunity to receive an excellent education at QVCC.

While we are unable to congratulate our scholarship winners in person at our annual Scholarship Night, we are excited to announce this years recipients:

A.L. Simonds Memorial Scholarship        

Marshal Gohn
Jaylen Brinson
Julia Christensen

Alice and Lionel Romney Memorial Scholarship

Katherine Soto

Altrusa International of Northeastern Connecticut Scholarship

Yasmin Garcia

Archambault-Beauchamp Scholarship

Isabelle Croke
Katherine Soto

BankHOMETOWN Scholarship (Returning Student)

Breana Weidele
Brandon Steen
Natalia Reali
Shelby Pendleton
Hayley Kuhn
Lauryn Hart
Kevin Champagne
Kristina Dyba
Christiana Filbert
Allison Hall

BankHOMETOWN Scholarship (Transferring Student)

Korrin Durning
William Hamill
Kate Crescenzo

Barbara Morowski Memorial Scholarship

Hunter Caldwell

Betty and Newell Hale Scholarship

Rowan Coleman
Julia Boyce

Burke Memorial Scholarship

Garcia  Yasmin

David and Nancy Bull Scholarship

Olha Lacasse

David T. Britland Memorial Scholarship

Aaron Blanchflower

Day Kimball Healthcare Scholarship

Tarryn Desrosiers

Demers Family Scholarship

Cyd Marie Valentin Padua

Dr. Carlee R. and Michael J. Drummer President’s Scholarship

Michael Guilmette

Dr. Ellis A. and Shirley L. Hagstrom Memorial Scholarship

Samantha Pultz

Dr. Frank Aleman Scholarship

Joshua Sandage

Dr. Lynn Pasquerella ’78 and John Kuchle Scholarship

Maricela Concepcion Pabon

Dr. Robert E. and Sylvia M. Miller Scholarship

Caitlin Baer

Elizabeth Czepiel Memorial Scholarship

Juan Ajqui

Emil and Alice Miller Memorial Scholarship

Jaylen Brinson

George and Demeter Lakatzis Scholarship

Isabelle Croke

Haines Family Scholarship

Caroline Hamill

Hans Langhammer Scholarship

Alexa Michalski

Jeanne L. Zesut Northeastern Connecticut Human Resources Association Scholarship

Marisol Prather

Jewett City Savings Bank Scholarship

Kenneth Adams

Joan Dash Scholarship

Anjuli Pickett

Joan F. Golrick Memorial Scholarship

Madison Tatro

John J. “Bud” Keenan Memorial Scholarship

Ismail Ahmed Kiani

John J. Sarnowski Memorial Scholarship

Brandon Johnson

Kathleen A. Russell Memorial Scholarship

Shania Scharlack

Keith John Kipper Memorial Scholarship

Mirabelle Bates

Killingly Brooklyn Rotary Scholarship

Brianna Worden

LiR Scholarship, In Memory of Dr. Robert E. Miller

Colby Bodo
Aaron Blanchflower

Maria Angelos and George Lakatzis Scholarship

India McDermott Arriola

Mary Espinola Memorial Scholarship

Brian (Brittney) Montpelier-Gomes

May and Frank Messinger Memorial Scholarship

Stacie Digby

Michael F. Davis Memorial Scholarship

Carlos Poch

Moumouris Dykstra Family Scholarship

Madeline Whitten

Norma and David Senger Family Scholarship

Jordan Keith

Northeast Connecticut Arts Council Scholarship

Isabella Donaldson
Zia Donais

Northeast Opportunities for Wellness Norman Corriveau Scholarship

Jared Green

Northeastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce Scholarship

Erin Lannon
Lidia Korytkowska

Putnam Rotary Gerry Cotnoir Scholarship

Tarryn Desrosiers

Rhoda L. and David T. Chase Academic Scholarship

Sylwia Helwig

Rhoda L. and David T. Chase Motivation Scholarship

Luke Norman

Richard C. Berry & Louise S. Berry Scholarship

Garrett Sward

Rooke-Norman Women’s Opportunity Scholarship

Grace Renee Terwilliger

Rose Bove La Rose and Normand O. La Rose Scholarship

Angelica Villafane

Rotaract Mal Schumann Memorial Scholarship

Desiree Grochowski

Ryan S. Doyle Memorial Scholarship

Paige Anne Audet
Rachel Vertefeuille
Abena Adjei
Jacob Orowson
Michaela Marshall

Savings Institute Bank and Trust Scholarship

Cristal Alvarez
Eryka Gomez-Garcia

Sommer Family Scholarship

Yaned Perez

Spirol International Corporation Scholarship

Amanda Champagne
Jesse Paprota

Steven and Marjolaine ’87, ’88 Townsend Business Scholarship

Bernardo Barron
Diana Cone
Kyla Atwood
Ethan Bibeau
Desiree Grochowski
Joshua Sandage
Hannah LaRose
Jordan Keith
Manuel Velasquez
Cade Wolak

Steven and Marjolaine ’87, ’88 Townsend Fine Arts Scholarship

Jaimie Lohman
Paul Brisson
Mandi Beckman
Carlos  Poch
Rebeca Burnham

Steven and Marjolaine ’87, ’88 Townsend Liberal Arts and Sciences Scholarship

Cyd Marie Valentin Padua
Taylor Copeland
Mya Windrow
Brianna Worden
Jordan Alexander
Ashley Bonnette
Kerra Kendall
Victoria Dejesus
Myia Harris
Courtney Robicheau
Seth Benoit

Steven and Marjolaine ’87, ’88 Townsend Putnam High School

Matthew Chzaszcz
Janete  Morente-Uz
Niajah  DeWolfe
Hannah Smith

Thompson Lions Club Scholarship

Sylwia Helwig

Tracy Thompson Memorial Scholarship

Natalie Ionkin

United Natural Foods Scholarship

Kerryann Frenier
Jazmin Daley

Virginia A. ’78 and Thomas E. Moumouris Scholarship

Stephanie Feliciano

W.H.G. Herklots Family Scholarship

Ruth Soderberg
Abigail Spiewakowski
Erika Rivera

William and Dorothy St. Onge Memorial Scholarship

Emily Keeling

The Elizabeth Espitia-Perez and Walter J. Hines Scholarship

Maricela Concepcion Pabon

The Helena B. Witkowski Memorial Scholarship

Chiricahua Cochise
Adrianna Aubin

April 17th is the six-month mark until Tackle the Trail 2020! Are you ready to Tackle?

Mark your calendars! Saturday, October 17, 2020. This year, the race has grown to marathon and half marathon distances, open to individuals and up to six-person relay teams (relay teams for marathon distance only). With leg distances varying from 2.1 to 6.7 miles, this race is fit for elite runners and weekend warriors alike!

The half marathon will begin in Brooklyn, CT and the marathon will begin in Windham, CT; both races will end in Putnam, CT at the Hale YMCA with an awesome post-race festival sponsored by Michelob Ultra! Free beer, food, and fun!

Tackle the Trail takes place every third Saturday in October. Organized by the Quinebaug Valley Community College Foundation, Tackle the Trail raises scholarship money for students within the community of northeast Connecticut and beyond. The support of this race allows QVCC students to receive a debt-free education.

To register for Tackle the Trail, visit tacklethetrail.org. Follow Tackle the Trail on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the latest information and to connect with other runners. Sponsorship opportunities are available at a variety of levels. To inquire about sponsorships, please contact Monique Wolanin, Race Director, at mwolanin@qvcc.edu.

Tackle the Trail would also like to give a special shout out to The Wyndham Land Trust and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) for all their help in making the marathon and half marathon extension possible.

Thursday, April 2, 2020

The QVCC Foundation to Support Summer Classes for Students

Free Professional Development for Local Businesses

QVCC  and The Quinebaug Valley Community College Foundation are here for our students and for our community during this unprecedented pandemic that is impacting our state, our nation, and our world.

The QVCC Foundation will be providing the College with an additional $50,000 gift to support QVCC students during this crisis to help pay for summer courses.  With the emphasis on increased needs for healthcare workers, and the recognition that Spring classes and lives have been severely impacted, the Foundation asks that part of the grant be used to assist students wanting to take Phlebotomy/medical courses – Techniques in Phlebotomy, Law and Ethics for Health Care or Medical Terminology. The remainder of the $25,000 will be allocated to all other students. The money is only available to students who were registered for courses during the spring semester.  Monique Wolanin, director of institutional advancement, stated, “The QVCC Foundation extends our thanks to the hundreds of donors who believe in our mission and to the social service agencies in our communities who also support QVCC students. If you want to learn more about these funds, please contact the Financial Aid Office, Gloria Rivera or if you wish to learn more about the QVCC Foundation, please contact me.” Monique Wolanin can be reached at mwolanin@qvcc.edu .  Cindi Brassington, QVCC professor of allied health, is very appreciative of the Foundation stating, “The QVCC foundation’s generous gift will allow students to continue their healthcare training during the summer 2020 session.  The increased need of trained healthcare workers due to the global pandemic makes this gift vital not only to students but to our entire community.  Our community donors always come through to offer financial support to QVCC students, and for this I am deeply appreciative.”

Free Professional Development To aid in professional development opportunities, the QVCC Business and Industry Services department will be offering virtual workshops, free of charge, to the business community to help their employees while temporarily working from home.  The 10 workshops will include: Transitioning to Telework & Telecommuting, Virtual Team Building, Managing Remote High Performance Teams, Stress Management, Organizational Skills, Time Management, Self-Leadership, Goal Setting, Emotional Intelligence and Personal Productivity.  For more information contact Andrew Morrison, director of business and industry services.

Update Friday, March 20, 2020

The QVCC Foundation has temporarily extended its Scholarship deadline (was March 13) .

QVCC Scholarship Information

The Quinebaug Valley Community College Foundation is offering $140,000 in scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year. QVCC is proud that the last nine graduating classes left QVCC with zero federal student loan debt. Thanks to state grants, excellent financial aid advising, and scholarships from The Foundation, QVCC is able to provide a debt-free college education to students of Northeast Connecticut and beyond.

The majority of scholarships are available to new (incoming) QVCC students, as well as returning students. Part-time students are also eligible, but must be taking two or more classes. Most require a minimum GPA of 3.0., but several scholarships are available for QVCC students graduating in May 2020.

The College continues to help our residents become students. Kate Crescenzo, resident of Willimantic, CT, was awarded a $1,500 for the 2019-2020 academic year, which has allowed her to graduate this upcoming May debt-free! “I have had an amazing educational experience at QVCC. I’m excited and confident to move forward in my academic and professional careers with a solid foundation, thanks to my time here. I am even more grateful that I have received this outstanding education completely debt-free!”

QVCC Foundation scholarship applications go live on February 1, 2020. Visit www.QVCC.edu/scholarships to learn more or apply. The scholarship application deadline is March 13, 2020.

The Quinebaug Valley Community College Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Helena B. Witkowski Scholarship. This fund comes from Ms. Witkowski’s trust and reflects the largest bequest the QVCC Foundation has ever received. It will allow the Foundation to provide approximately $18,000 in annual scholarships to local students.

Helena B. Witkowski was born in 1927 and grew up on a dairy farm in North Grosvenordale, CT. An Honors graduate of Tourtellotte High School, she went on to the Connecticut Institute of Hairdressing and Cosmetology in Hartford, CT. Ms. Witkowski continued her education while caring for her parents and working full-time in the beauty salon she owned in Putnam, CT. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Connecticut State University and a certificate in education from the University of Krakow in Poland. Ms. Witkowski then joined the faculty at Harvard H. Ellis Regional Vocational and Technical High School in Danielson, CT. She spent many happy, memorable years teaching, mentoring and caring deeply for her students. She retired in 1986 as Department Head of Beauty and Culture.

“Helping students was a hugely important part of my aunt’s life and it gives me so much pleasure to give this to QVCC students on her behalf,” said Edward C. Dalterio, nephew and trustee of the Helena B. Witkowski Trust. Monique Wolanin, Director of Institutional Advancement shared, “We are forever indebted to this trailblazing woman. Helena’s inspirational story illustrates the importance of remembering where once started by giving back to that community. This fund will serve residents of Northeast Connecticut for generations to come.”

A full scholarship awarded to Putnam High School student Jeffrey Reed

The Quinebaug Valley Community College Foundation has awarded $140,000 in scholarships to current and future QVCC students in support of a debt-free education.  Students from Northeast Connecticut, Central Massachusetts and Western Rhode Island round-out the list of worthy recipients.

Monique Wolanin, QVCC director of institutional advancement, was excited about awarding a newly established full-scholarship endowed by Steve and Marge ’87 ‘88 Townsend. Wolanin stated, “This year, for the first time in the Foundation’s 48 year history, thanks to the generosity of Steve and Marge Townsend, the Foundation awarded 1 full $5,000 scholarship to Putnam High School student Jeffrey Reed in recognition of his stellar high school achievements. This scholarship is renewable for year 2, effectively providing Jeffrey the opportunity to earn his Associate’s degree at QVCC free! Thank you to the Townsends and to the hundreds of donors who support the QVCC Foundation on an annual basis.”

Townsend Scholarships

The Townsends awarded 29 scholarships this year. Steve is a nationally recognized business leader who co-founded United Natural Foods (UNFI) in Danielson, CT. A long-time member of the QVCC Foundation, in 2012 Steve was honored with emeritus status for his “extraordinary contribution to the Foundation’s mission.” Marge is an active community volunteer whose hard work and dedication has helped many. Steve and Marge are proud Putnam High School graduates and the first members of their respective families to attend college.  They hope that in providing these scholarships, students will pursue their dreams and one day be in a position to help others do the same.

Released: May 2, 2019

QVCC’S COMMITMENT TO A DEBT-FREE EDUCATION FOR EASTERN CONNECTICUT

$140,000 in Foundation Scholarships, Full Scholarship Award and Recent Open House Scholarship Winners

DANIELSON, CT —The Quinebaug Valley Community College Foundation is offering $140,000 in scholarships for the 2019-2020 academic year. With the rising cost of higher education, QVCC is proud that the last eight graduating classes left QVCC with NO Federal Student Loans. State grants and scholarships from The Foundation and excellent financial aid advising provide a debt-free college education for QVCC students.

The majority of scholarships are available to new (incoming) QVCC students, as well as returning students and most require a minimum GPA of 3.0., but several scholarships are for QVCC students graduating in May. This spring will be the first time The Foundation awards the Steven & Marjolaine ’87, ’88 Townsend Putnam High School Scholar’s Scholarships. This includes a full-scholarship to a resident of Putnam who is graduating from Putnam High School in 2019, with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

The College continues to help our residents become students. Kaitlin, senior at Killingly High School, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship for the 2019-2020 academic year for applying to the College and attending the fall open house. The spring open house is on Wednesday, March 6, at 6 p.m. at the Danielson campus. One student who applies on or before March 6 and attends Open House will be awarded a $1,000 for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Aaron, who was able to start this spring in the Advanced Manufacturing Certificate Program, won a $500 scholarship for attending the January Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center (AMTC) Information Session. The AMTC endowment has continued to grow due to the generosity of our business partners in Northeast Connecticut and currently stands at more than $500,000. Current students have earned monetary awards for achieving scholastic success, the Dean’s List and for remaining in the program for a second semester.  The fund has helped more than 50 students to successful completion. The next AMTC Information session will be held on March 28, 2019 at 5 p.m.

Learn more:

• Listing of Available Scholarships
• Online application
• Additional documents

Scholarship applications and additional documents are due to the College by Friday, March 8, 2019

Released February 27, 2019

More than 125 people turned out last evening to Celebrate a Legend, Roast and Reminisce, Dr. Robert E. Miller, QVCC Founding President and QVCC Foundation Member Emeritus.  In a heartfelt program, individuals who represented Bob’s ideals had the opportunity to share their stories about his dedication in helping to establish a college in Northeast Connecticut and his passion for the community where he still resides.

Karen Osbrey, the longest serving QVCC Foundation Member, served as emcee and welcomed stories and anecdotes about Dr. Miller.  Profound accolades were shared by Dr. Carlee Drummer, QVCC President, Dianne E. Williams, QVCC President Emeritus; Dr. Cathryn Addy, Former Tunxis Community College President; family members Anne Miller and Paul Miller; Aili Galasyn, QVCC Foundation member emeritus and Regional Advisory Council member; and Joseph Adiletta, QVCC Foundation Vice President.  Special thanks to QVCC Alumni Linda Colangelo ’03, who sang a beautiful tribute song for Dr. Miller and Elijah Dufour ‘18, who played piano throughout the night.  A tribute video was created in Dr. Miller’s honor and included QVCC’s first employee and former Dean of Administration John Boland, Lynn Pasquerella ’78, President, American Association of Colleges and Universities and many past and current members of the QVCC faculty and staff.  Joseph Adiletta had the honor of announcing the newly established Dr. Robert E. Miller Educational Advancement Fund.  The fund was established to recognize the incredible role Dr. Miller has played in the lives of thousands of Quinebaug Valley Community College students because of his vision, leadership and commitment to providing access to higher education in Northeast Connecticut.  The Foundation will be launching a $1.5 million capital campaign to fund the endowment.

Anne Miller stated, “Last night’s event was a heartwarming tribute to our father from the community he loves.  It was a clear example of why Northeast Connecticut is indeed a special place that values the mark that the college and our father’s work has left on the region and its residents.  We are very grateful to have the opportunity to honor our father alongside the people who have helped to accomplish the goals he has dedicated his life to.”

For additional information regarding the Dr. Robert E. Miller Educational Endowment Fund, please contact QVCC Director of Institutional Advancement, Monique Wolanin, or 860.932.4174.

Released January 10, 2019