SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Springfield Technical Community College Foundation celebrated student achievement and donor generosity during its annual Scholarship Luncheon on May 20, recognizing scholarship recipients whose educational journeys were supported through philanthropy.
Held on the STCC campus, the event brought together scholarship recipients, their families and friends, faculty and staff, members of the STCC Foundation Board, college trustees and STCC President Dr. John B. Cook. Sixty-five scholarships were awarded.
Traci Wolfe, assistant vice president of Advancement and executive director of the STCC Foundation, presented medals to scholarship recipients and highlighted the transformative impact scholarships have on students pursuing their academic goals.
Among the featured speakers was Damien Otero, a 2026 graduate and recipient of two scholarships. Wolfe introduced Otero by sharing how his passion for engineering began during high school while building a ballista — a type of crossbow — for a class project at Chicopee High School.
Otero plans to pursue a degree in aeronautical engineering at a four-year university and has already been accepted to several institutions.
“No matter where he matriculates, we are all excited for his new academic adventure, and we’ll be rooting him on from STCC,” Wolfe said.
In an emotional speech, Otero reflected on perseverance, resilience and the opportunities he found at STCC.
“STCC gave me the place to change my story and the tools to build it,” Otero said.
He thanked the foundation and donors for investing in students and helping remove barriers to success.
“This year, with community college being free, the financial burden of tuition was lifted,” Otero said. “But the scholarships we are receiving today do so much more than that. They lifted weight, they opened doors.”
Otero encouraged fellow recipients to continue pursuing their goals despite setbacks.
“Failure is not a wall,” he said. “It is a step on the path to success.”
Several scholarship recipients spoke after the ceremony about the impact of the support they received while attending STCC.
Alexia Henley Bisson said receiving support through the Monson Savings Bank Scholarship affirmed how far she has come academically.
Henley Bisson, who is graduating with a degree in Business Administration, plans to continue her education at the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
“It’s honestly amazing,” Henley Bisson said of receiving the scholarship. “I never expected myself to ever be in this position.”
She shared that she struggled with dyslexia for many years and once found school difficult, but her experience at STCC transformed her outlook on education.
“Once I went to college, it really changed my whole perspective on school, and it made me just fall in love with learning,” she said. “I love going to all the business classes and really applying everything that I learned to the real world.”
Henley Bisson said she is now working toward starting her own business using the knowledge and skills she developed at STCC.
Standing alongside his former student, Professor Anthony Rondinelli, an STCC Foundation board member, praised Henley Bisson’s dedication and ambition.
“I’m very proud of Alexia,” Rondinelli said. “I could see that she had a deep interest in business, and when she told me she wanted to start her own business, I thought that was fantastic.”
Student Natalia Rivera of Chicopee, who received the Minarik Scholarship, recently completed the nursing program while raising two children as a single mother.
“That was able to help me focus on my studies and really get through the program while also parenting my kids,” Rivera said.
Rivera, who will graduate on May 28, accepted a position as a registered nurse in the emergency room at Mercy Medical Center and plans to begin pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at Fitchburg State University in the fall.
“I felt very supported by the staff, the nursing program, everybody,” Rivera said. “Honestly, I felt really supported, and that’s important to me as a student.”
Stew Wilkerson of Springfield, who received both the United Water Springfield Scholarship and the Alan “Al” Paul Cuipenski Memorial Scholarship, said returning to college later in life has been meaningful.
“I’m now just turning 39 years old, so I’m getting a chance to assert myself in a proper manner and just move forward,” Wilkerson said.
Wilkerson, a Civil Engineering Technology student, said the scholarships demonstrate that educational goals remain achievable at any stage of life.
“This is a great opportunity to show not only myself and my peers, but the younger generation that you still can do it,” he said.
“The only way I was able to attend college was because of a four-year scholarship provided to me by an unknown benefactor.
Brian Tuohey, founder and Executive Chair for the The Collins Companies, described what inspires him to be a donor.
“The only way I was able to attend college was because of a four-year scholarship provided to me by an unknown benefactor,” said Tuohey, a member of the STCC Foundation board. “So, our family is honored to be able to ‘pay it forward’ and provide that same opportunity to a very deserving STCC student.”
Three of Tuoheys’ daughters went to STCC.
“As a fellow STCC alum, it was an honor to attend the STCC Scholarship Luncheon,” said Mary Tuohey Fahy ‘11, chief financial officer for The Collins Companies. “STCC has always held a special place in my heart because the people and staff truly cared about their students. After attending the luncheon, it was clear that commitment has not changed. It was inspiring to hear about the school’s continued growth over the past 20 years and its ongoing commitment to supporting students and preparing the future workforce.”
Dr. Jacqueline Johnson, vice president of the STCC Foundation Board, emphasized the importance of higher education and the foundation’s role in supporting students.
“Scholarships like the ones we are awarding today help students at STCC continue to transform their lives and support them as they pursue their educational goals,” Johnson said.
Johnson praised the work of the college’s faculty and staff and thanked donors for their continued generosity.
President Cook also congratulated the recipients and emphasized the importance of celebrating student accomplishments together.
“These gatherings, whether large or small, are important because they give us the opportunity to recognize your achievements in person,” Cook told the recipients. “Please know how proud we are of your accomplishments.”
Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.
About Springfield Technical Community College
STCC, the Commonwealth’s only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC’s highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.
