Luis G. Pedraja: QCC’s fundraising event benefits the entire community
At Quinsigamond Commmunity College, student success is behind every initiative we do, and never has this been more important in QCC’s close to 60-year history than during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since March 2020, every remark that I have made, every speech, radio and newspaper interview that I have given, detailed not only the challenges that community college students face under normal circumstances, but also described how these challenges and difficulties were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the onset of the pandemic, we knew our community college students needed more help to weather this unprecedented health crisis. Many students had families to care for and while they wanted to continue their education, when they lost their jobs or had their hours reduced, experienced health issues, or lacked the technology to do their coursework, we knew they needed more assistance.
We increased emergency financial aid, need-based scholarships, and expanded support services that included increased mental health services, advising, tutoring centers, and enlarged our HomePlate Food Pantry and Resource Center to deliver more healthy food to those in need. We never gave up on our students, and they never gave up on themselves.
Together, we got through the storm and on May 20, 2022, I was able to preside over the first in-person commencement ceremony since the global pandemic began. I was the first to congratulate these amazing graduates as they crossed the stage to receive their diplomas or certificates.
To witness the sheer joy on the faces of these new graduates and their families was nothing short of inspiring. The importance of affordable, accessible, quality postsecondary education for all our community members is something that resonated deeply with me that day. On that Friday afternoon in May, it was a reaffirmation of all that we do at QCC to make a positive difference in the lives of our students. It was also a reaffirmation of why QCC is considered Worcester’s college.
The full community was, and continues to be, behind our students. Local companies hire our graduates by the thousands, or bring them in as interns to offer them industry-specific experience that will help them to be successful in their future endeavors.
Local businesses and private individuals donate to the QCC Foundation, in order to help students realize the dream of a better life by funding much-needed scholarships.
While it was an honor to have this new group of graduates cross the stage, we knew that we had to do more and be more for future graduates.
Thus, on the very next day after QCC’s Commencement, we held a fundraising gala, Quinsigabration, a joint venture between the College and the QCC Foundation. All funds raised from the Quinsigabration Gala went toward QCC’s General Endowed scholarship Fund to help students with tuition and fees, and cover other educational expenses such as books and technology.
The gala was more than just a fundraising event, it also showcased QCC students who shared their heartfelt and powerful stories of how QCC gave them support, new opportunities, and a broader horizon.
One of the students who had just graduated the day before with highest honors summed up what so many who come QCC have felt.
“I graduated as a better person, a more well-rounded person, and I don’t think I’m the only person in the room who feels this way about the college.”
This is the power of a community college such as QCC.
This special event raised over $47,000 to help fulfill our students’ dreams of a better life through higher education. What made this event more impactful is that every dollar raised for the Endowed Scholarship Fund received a partial match from the commonwealth of Massachusetts for endowed funds, putting that total at over $70,000.
Quinsigabration's success could not have been possible without the local community businesses such as Unicare, Hanover Insurance Group, Centro, Theatre Café, Center Stage Café, The Guru Tax and Financial Services, Open Sky Community Services, Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, special guest performer Rob Surette, as well as the private individuals, QCC Foundation board members, and QCC faculty and staff, who worked tirelessly to ensure an evening that will have lifelong, positive ramifications for our students.
It is important to note that supporting QCC students is supporting the community. They are our community’s healthcare providers, educators, elected officials, community leaders, business owners, early childhood teachers, cyber security experts, computer technicians, dental hygienists and dental assistants, manufacturers, engineers and public safety officers (to name a few), who will support and carry the region’s socioeconomic development. Our community’s prosperity is tied directly to the success of these students.
Quinsiagabration is just one example of what it means when a community works together for the common good of its residents. It brings me great pride and hope for our future when an event such as this one is successful. It demonstrates the value a community college brings to the communities it serves and highlights the positive impact it has on our collective workforce.
Luis G. Pedraja, Ph.D., is president of Quinsigamond Community College.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Luis G. Pedraja: QCC’s fundraising event benefits the entire community
