Amanda Henrichs has been the Director of Assessments at the Mount for about 2 years and uses they/them pronouns. Originally from Oregon, Henrichs reflected on how different their life was in the Beaver State, mentioning that they were “milking goats and making porridge.” They explained the geographical distinctions between Oregon and Massachusetts, noting that Oregon experiences more rainfall and is “always gray,” with mountains for skiing and even a desert known as the High Desert on the other side. Henrichs recommends visiting Crater Lake, describing it as “incredible, it’s an old volcano that is filled in.”

Currently, they live in Northampton where they’ve lived for the past 3 years with their partner and their three cats: Walter, Penelope, and Buford. “I spend a lot of time making bread or my big thing right now is making bacon,” they said. They also have a big garden at home, and gardening is another thing they enjoy doing in their spare time, along with playing video games.  They are passionate about social justice and love to learn about niche topics.

After attending the University of Oregon for undergrad, they continued their education at Indiana University at Bloomington where they got their PhD in English literature, specifically studying the poetry of the 17th century—poets like Shakespeare. Henrichs wrote their dissertation on how poets understand their literary tradition and further explained how the Renaissance was the rebirth of classical culture, and they argued that “…the poets in the 17th century have already done the rebirth. They’re kind of bored at that point. So instead of looking to the past for literary inspiration, they started to look inward and specifically, they looked to their own experience of time to write poetry.”

The role of Director of Assessments at the Mount is a complex one, providing assistance to various faculty and staff members, defining their role as assisting “faculty and staff help students learn more.” They clarified further, stating that they help staff set goals for what they would like students to learn and accomplish, measuring what students have learned, and learning what actions will help students learn more. It requires working with faculty and staff to understand what the student experience needs in the learning environment. Henrichs explained that their job is often misunderstood by many.

Jessica Freeman, a nursing major at the Mount, shared her understanding of the job, explaining that it involves reviewing “where students should be placed in classes and the classes that fit well for them.”

One common misconception about their role is that they’re only there to critique and point out flaws. “When people hear we’re going to start collecting evidence of student learning, they get really scared that that means someone’s going to criticize or be mad or they’re going to get in trouble,” Henrichs said, elaborating with an everyday comparison.  “I’m trying to make sourdough bread. So I’ve got my sourdough starter. Fun, very finicky. It needs to be stirred and it needs to be fed and all that stuff, and if I don’t do something, it’s going to mess up the product. So when I am making bread and something goes wrong, I need to assess what went wrong so I can fix it because I know that’s not the product I want.” In short, they assess what is going wrong or what is going right and how it can be fixed or used the next time to help students learn more.

Henrichs wishes they could feel more of the firsthand impact of their work since they don’t get to work with students as directly as they did at their previous jobs. In previous roles, Henrichs had been teaching composition and writing courses at schools such as Indiana University, UMass Amherst, Smith College, Amherst College and Holyoke Community College.

Ultimately, Henrichs is a person who enjoys learning. “I want learning to be incredible because that’s how I experience it,” they shared. “So I want everyone else to have as much joy in learning as much as possible.”

Originally published in the December 2023, Volume 18, Issue 4

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Arlo Caisse has been one of Mount Wachusett Community College’s many dual enrollment students since they started the Gateway to College program in the fall of 2022, when they were just 16 years old. “I was homeschooled my whole life up until I started here at ��Ԫ���� as a Gateway student,” said Caisse. Both Caisse and their sister are first-generation college students, and their sister is a former Gateway student herself. “My sister was the biggest reason I chose to go to college. I wanted to learn, and I needed to learn some important things…things I could have learned at home, but my sister encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and try something new.”

Attending college has been full of unexpected, life-changing experiences for Caisse. “Originally school wasn’t my priority. If you told me I would be in college right now, I probably would have laughed a little bit,” they admitted.

Since beginning their college career at the Mount, they’ve joined three of the student organizations on campus: the Campus Activity Team for Students (CATS), the Student Government Association (SGA), and the Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA). “I firmly believe that being involved in your community is important!” explained Caisse. “It allows me to get out of my daily cycle of class and homework, [and] it gives me time for human interaction. I strongly advise everyone to find a welcoming community to be a part of.”

Recent studies show that engaging in extracurricular activities heightens students’ sense of connection with their college community, resulting in a 17% increase in this regard. Additionally, these activities often serve as a source of inspiration for students, motivating them to explore fields related to community service. As a matter of fact, 80% of college-bound students actively engage in public service at the college level. This commitment to helping others is a significant driving force, as emphasized by Caisse, who expressed, “All of [the] clubs mean a lot to me. I am very big on volunteer work and helping others.” In addition to having the opportunity to help others, one of the other things they love the most about the Mount is the “supportive people” they’ve met since enrolling.

Although their experience has been largely a positive one, they’ve had to overcome some challenges, as well. “I tend to overwork myself,” they admitted. “If there is anything I have learned from school, it’s to take a break…Balancing school, clubs, home life, and work is a hard task but it is doable. You just need to plan it all out accordingly…Just make sure to take care of yourself too.”

Coming from a homeschooled environment, there was a learning curve for them when it came to being in a classroom filled with other students and, consequently, distractions. “I was always by myself when it came to learning but now there is a whole class.”

When they’re not devoting themselves to their classes and extracurricular activities, Caisse can be found spending time with their family, learning more about the things that interest them–such as photography, criminal justice, culinary arts, and human services–and playing tabletop role-playing games, namely Dungeons & Dragons. “Ever since I was young, making characters with awesome backstories was my favorite thing to do. I have well over a dozen OCs (Original Characters) that I used for stories, D&D, and many other things,” they enthused. “It’s so much fun to get groups together–big and small–to play a fun game like D&D.”

Across the board, Caisse is a perfect example of adaptability, compassion, and resilience, demonstrating the courage to step out of one’s comfort zone and embrace new horizons. They hold a well-deserved optimism about their future, with a unique perspective on the word “opportunity.”

In their own words, “…I don’t mean [opportunities] that will get me on cool trips or…a better paying job. The opportunities I am looking forward to are ones where I can help people or make someone’s day. I get the most joy out of life when I am doing something for someone else. Sometimes people say, ‘you are born to do something,’ and I believe it. I could have any job in the world, but it would mean nothing to me if I didn’t have the opportunity to help someone else.”

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For many years, our society has been under the impression that Liberal Arts majors are for those who don’t comprehend the weight of education and are ignorantly going to school for a degree they will never use; therefore, between the backhanded comments and ‘hushed’ criticism, Liberal Arts majors are used to people doubting and questioning the validity of their choice.

What many overlook when considering a Liberal Arts degree is that the major provides a wide array of skills that can be translated into the workplace and also foster an environment of passion and fulfillment. Because of this, I believe that the underestimation and stigmatization of these majors is nothing more than a lack of open-mindedness and knowledge.

In a May 7, 2015 article from The Washington Post, author and journalist on higher education Jeffrey J. Selingo explained that since college can be expensive, many major choices are largely based on “the expected return on investment after graduation.”

In this same article, Selingo said, “many students believe that picking a major is tantamount to choosing a career. It’s not.” Therefore, from my perspective, it seems that this idea has created a universal perception that in order to have a stable, productive, and worthwhile future (or career), you need to be extremely careful when choosing a major. With this mindset, the controversy surrounding these degrees seems inevitable.

Vice President for Advancement and Dean of the Robert Day Scholars Program at Claremont Mckenna College, Michelle Chamberlain, elaborated on this concept in a Jan. 14, 2020 article in The Washington Post, written by reporter Susan Svrluga. Chamberlain explained that when talking with parents, they always question whether a Liberal Arts major will “pay off.”

However, I believe that by focusing so much on what majors will “pay off” down the line, we are limiting ourselves to a narrow scope of career possibilities and overlooking that Liberal Arts degrees can give students just as many (if not more) skills as other majors to carry into many different fields.

For example, in a Sept. 2, 2016 article from The Washington Post, author and professor Steven Pearlstein wrote, “A study for the Association of American Colleges and Universities found that 93 percent of employers agreed that a ‘demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than [a job candidate’s] undergraduate major.’”

If we believe for a second that skills cannot be gained from pursuing a Liberal Arts degree, then we are believing a lie. While pursuing a Liberal Arts, I have had the opportunity to participate in various classes with different students and professors teaches you how to think, communicate, and navigate things in new and challenging ways; these skills are ones that can undoubtedly be translated into the professional world.

In an interview with author and journalist, George Anders, in the Sept. 29, 2017 article from The Washington Post, Selingo wrote, “[t]he one advantage of a liberal arts degree, Anders said, is that it doesn’t train students for a clear-cut job, so searching for employment can be as broad as graduates want it to be.”

Selingo also wrote that Anders relayed how “[c]lassics majors are popular among Wall Street banks…because of their ability to closely read texts [and]…Anthropology majors are hot hires for technology companies expanding their user-research efforts.”

As you can see, there are many fields that can see the valuable skillset Liberal Arts degrees bring to the table. So, instead of doubting whether specific majors will be profitable, we should consider how these majors will equip us with tangible skills that employers will ultimately value.

In addition to equipping students with a unique skillset, Liberal Arts Majors give students the freedom to choose majors they love and want to pursue, which only sets them on the road to being satisfied with their future careers.

In an Apr. 1, 2019 article from BBC, journalist Amanda Ruggeri said, “our assumptions about the market value of certain degrees – and the ‘worthlessness’ of others – might be off. At best, that could be making some students unnecessarily stressed. At worst? Pushing people onto paths that set them up for less fulfilling lives.”

I am of the perspective that life is too short to choose a major in something you dislike just because you think there is a more straightforward path on the other side. I understand that the guarantee of stability is vital to many, especially those trying to support their families, but there will always be a ‘safer’ job out there if all else fails. If nothing else, along the way, you will gain profitable skills that will set you up for even more jobs than you had considered before.

In addition, those of us who choose to pursue paths in Liberal Arts need to be our best advocates: do your own research, see what skills you can bring to the table, and pursue your passion boldly and with pride.

Together, let’s begin to reframe our perspective on how we measure a degree’s value. Regardless of what path we start on, we will all eventually find our place in the career world, and pursuing a Liberal Arts degree does not set you up any less than the majors we have been told for years are guaranteed success.

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When he was a boy, Eoin Haggerty dreamed of being a firefighter–now, he is twenty-one years old, with one year left at Mount Wachusett and with a dream of becoming a storyboard creator.

When asked why he changed his life goal, he said it was his inspiration.“Movies and video games give me creative outlets and it’s all around me,” Haggerty added with a smile.

According to the Nashville Film Institute, a storyboard creator is responsible for taking “a script, or even just a concept”, and changing words “into a visual story” (NFI.edu). This echoes Haggerty’s dream of “learning the behind the scenes of film.”

Haggerty explained his love of the show Euphoria and one of his favorite games, Animal Crossing. He adds, “I like to mess around and have fun, but sometimes I play story games.”

While discussing his “short-term plans for the long-term,” Haggerty said that he will use his last year of school to look for internships and potential job openings. He is unsure whether he will need more schooling once he graduates from Mount Wachusett.

Haggerty answered with a simple nod when asked if he enjoys college. When talking about online school, he chuckled for a second and said “in some ways, I like it more. The flexibility of classes allows me to make school more convenient.”

Haggerty added that he has already been doing online classes before the pandemic, so his view of school has stayed the same.

Haggerty, like most young adults, was hesitant to answer how he felt about his future. He took some time to decide on an answer. Eventually, he said “it’s exciting to think about the opportunities I will have once I graduate. I’m a little scared though because you never know what can happen.”

Haggerty does have an abundance of choices ahead of him. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that the job outlook for animators and storyboard creators will increase by 16% between 2020 and 2030. There is also the potential to become an art director, graphic designer, or computer programmer (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2022). All these careers involve what Haggerty is looking for: “a chance to be in control of what is put out to the public.”

When asked if he might consider other jobs, Haggerty jokingly smirked and said he’s “pretty set in the field I’m in, but I’m always open to looking.”

Originally published in  6 April 2022.

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Some may have heard that the National Society of Leadership and Success—Sigma Alpha Pi (NSLS), can help students achieve personal growth, empowerment, and career success, but is joining this society worth it?

According to the email invitation, those who join “will gain access to a five-step, skill-building leadership program.  Membership benefits include scholarships, an online job bank, a personalized letter of recommendation, and discounts at major brands that will save you hundreds of dollars each year.”

To begin, if you meet the requirements as stated on the NSLS’s InvolveMOUNT page, of a “minimum 2.5 grade point average, and are taking a minimum of 6 credits,” any student can join this society whether they are taking classes in person or online.

��Ԫ���� student Kelly Johnson who is pursuing a certificate in Public Relations has been a member of NSLS for a few months and has already experienced the benefits of this society.

“NSLS is different than the other societies at Mount Wachusett,” Johnson said. “It’s a national honors society…I really like it. I like listening to the speakers.”

Johnson added she doesn’t currently need the scholarships NSLS offers, but “there’s so much more which…[she] found very beneficial.”

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There are simple requirements that students have to complete after joining. “You have to watch three leadership recordings,” Johnson said. “There are dozens, but three is their minimum.” Johnson added, “There are some really amazing speakers on there,
like Barack Obama.”

“Another piece of it is that you have to join a group,” Johnson said. “It’s a small group that you can set up on your own personal time with family or friends.” Johnson added that within this group, you would complete a task that is “a self-driven opportunity
to advance yourself” in one area of your life. Johnson said, “The group asks members to set a goal to accomplish, and the group is your accountability partner.”

“Instead of thinking you will approach a task without much knowledge, you have support from other classmates who are cheering you on and giving feedback,” Johnson said.

Aside from building leadership skills, Johnson identified that some other advantages of joining this society are getting to know yourself, getting to practice and implement what others are talking about, and networking with like-minded people. “There’s traveling as well,” Johnson said. “There are several programs you can join to travel around the world for a week with other NSLS members.”

To be clear, it is not free, and traveling is not a requirement after joining, but Johnson shared, “Even if a college student can’t afford to go to Costa Rica, for example, it’s a lifetime membership and they travel often.” When talking about leadership as a whole”, Johnson added, “You must be self-driven. It’s a lifetime commitment.”

Where one may see the benefits of this program, another may see its disadvantages. ��Ԫ���� Student Pamela Day, who has been a member of NSLS for a few semesters, said, “It fairly easy to do and complete. [But] [i]t’s really about leadership and I’m not one to get up to lead.”

NSLS offers scholarships to students who plan to transfer, but what if they aren’t transferring? Day said, “They…say they have scholarships for people that are transferring, but I’m not transferring.” Day added, “It’s discouraging to fight for a scholarship after they made a statement saying there are many scholarships available.”

For those seeking to apply for scholarships after joining NSLS, there is quite a bit of work to do. “It’s so involved,” Day said. “They want examples on leadership, what leadership roles you obtained, and if you volunteered.” Day added, “I volunteer but not to the degree they are asking for.”

Day also shared that a form of government identification is required to apply for these scholarships. “They want proof of who you are,” Day said. “It’s almost like getting government clearance for a scholarship…I felt uncomfortable scanning my documents. It was too much.”  Day made it clear that she didn’t want to discourage others but wanted to share her experience.

When asked what could be done to make the membership more inclusive for those who aren’t transferring or those that have a family life to balance out aside from their work life, Day shared, “The scholarships should be a little simpler to do, [and] not as long as they are, because not everyone has the free time.”

This article was originally published in Volume 16, Issue 6, March 2022.

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Daniel Soucy, Coordinator of the Mount Wachusett Community College Chapter in the Massachusetts Commonwealth Honors Program, believes that many more students could graduate from the honors program each year. This year, Soucy claims, around 15-20 students will graduate from the honors program. However, he sees hundreds of students graduate each year whose GPA’s indicate they could have certainly graduated the honors program, but sadly never joined.

Soucy explained that the biggest thing holding students back from joining this program is not a lack of information, but an overloaded schedule: “Our students are busy. They have work, family…it is hard sometimes for students to realize that there are all these opportunities and take some of the steps necessary to join.” Yet despite the daunting sound of the name “honors program”, the requirements and responsibilities are actually quite manageable for many students.

To join the program students must fill out an application and meet two requirements. The first is to achieve a cumulative college GPA of at least 3.3 through a minimum of one semester at Mount Wachusett Community College. The second is to receive a recommendation from two faculty members at Mount Wachusett Community College.

After being accepted into the program, students must then maintain their GPA and meet four additional requirements over throughout their time at Mount Wachusett Community College. The first of these requirements is met by taking the Honors ENG 102 class, right now taught by Professor Jessica Kuskey, and achieving at least a B.

Kuskey believes this class is not only a great experience, but very manageable, “People often ask me if the Honors ENG 102 is harder or more work, and the quick answer is no. The big difference is that our class discussions can go at a quicker pace and with the freedom to pursue your interests and chase your curiosity. We also replace a couple basic review tasks with some fun, creative assignments.”

The next two requirements are met by adding honors components to two Mount Wachusett Community College classes that students are already enrolled in. To do this, students work one on one with their professor, with an added special project to the class. In order for this to count as an honors component, the student must receive a minimum grade of a B in the class.

The final requirement is that honors students take the Honors Research Seminar class. This class is taught right now by Daniel Soucy and Heather Conn, who work individually with students on developing a research presentation project. Once again students must achieve a minimum of a B for this class to count as an honors requirement.

Participating in the honors program is both a valuable opportunity and an exciting experience. Soucy explained that the most compelling reasons can be divided into the intrinsic and extrinsic values of the program.
The extrinsic values, while still at the Mount, include help with tuition and the use of a special study room for honors students. However, graduating allows students to transfer into the Commonwealth Chapter of any state school. Having this recognition on a transcript can also help when attempting to further educational goals or build careers.

The intrinsic value, he said, lays in the value of the education received by working one on one with professors. Soucy described his own experience working individually with honors students: “It’s really as education should be…professors can’t really work with students the way they should in my opinion because we have so many students….the best education is really the one in which you can pay special attention to your student…and the honors program allows you to do that.”

To learn more and apply for the honors program, click here to visit the Honors Program page.

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Melissa Manzi offers advice to students seeking mental health support

By Peter Edwards
Observer Contributor 

Melissa Manzi, ��Ԫ����’s Mental Health Counselor, recently highlighted the telehealth counseling services that are available for all students as well as some advice in how to cope with the drastic changes in all of our lives. Manzi said she is doing everything she can to provide the necessary services and advice to aid students who are struggling during these times.

Manzi is available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, providing counseling and support through phone calls or Zoom meetings. Manzi said she assists students with guidance, direction, and tips to hopefully relieve academic stresses. Students can contact Manzi at M_manzi@mass.mwcc.edu with the subject line “counseling” if they would like to make an appointment. More information about accessing mental health resources can be found by clicking the Covid-19 banner on iConnect and selecting the “Health, Housing and Food” category.

Manzi said most of the students seeking counseling have come to her with newly found academic struggles. With fewer resources available due to the absence of classroom time to collaborate with other students and professors, in addition to drastic changes in structure and format, many students are struggling to keep up with the workload.

Manzi also said that in some cases students aren’t aware that online tutoring is still available through ��Ԫ����, either by email, phone, or video conference. Manzi said that students just need to email the Academic Support Center at asc@mwcc.mass.edu and include their name, ID number, class, a brief description of the assignment, the paper or project for review, and the tutoring format you’d like partake in.

Manzi also discussed some ways to relieve stress and maintain as much structure to your day as possible. She’s been advising students to figure out “what’s in your control and what’s out of your control.” Manzi said trying to stick to that mindset will go a long way.

She also recommends trying to stay away from news feeds as much as possible.

“With all of the negativity on the news and all of the terrible things happening it’s easy to get consumed with worry,” she said.

In terms of building things into your schedule to help with mental health issues or just to live a more enriched life, Manzi suggested daily meditation and relaxation techniques, guided imagery meditation (which can also be found under the COVID-19 banner on iConnect), and spending time outdoors, whether it be a run, hike, or just a simple 10-minute walk. Getting out of the house, and spending some time in nature is shown to improve mood and reduce stress. She also recommends finding a specific place to study and work in an attempt to separate it from your day-to-day life at home.

Originally published in the Mount Observer. May 7, 2020

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How difficult is it to take care of yourself during college?

There’s getting up on time, getting ready, eating breakfast, and the rest of the “morning routine” before school.

Setting time for any homework or projects is also a must and isn’t always easy. On top of that, a job to support yourself takes up time, energy, and focus. Together, a job and college classes are enough to fill the day, leaving little room to take care of yourself.

So what would caring for a child do to that schedule? Being a parent is a full-time job on its own. How hard must it be to be a student, employee, and parent all at the same time?

Vanessa Roberto, an MRT major with a focus on Photography, is a student parent involved in several organizations on and off-campus. She works in the Food Pantry on work-study, she is the president of the Parent Support Group (PSG), and she is organizing the upcoming Dobby Sock Drive.

Life as a student parent is “rewarding but very challenging,” she said.

Work and academics on top of daily life and childcare take up a lot of time.

“I just feel like there’s not enough time in the day,” said Roberto. “I drop [my kid] off at daycare, go to school or work-study, pick her up from daycare, and I barely have time to do any work.”

Because being a parent comes with responsibilities and obligations to her child. Roberto’s academics often suffer from other demands in her life. Group projects are common in college classes but are not always the best for students, especially student parents.

“Group work isn’t always an option,” said Roberto. “It’s an unrealistic expectation for student parents. We’re different from kids who come here right out of high school. I’m not staying up late because they want to push it off. I put my phone down when I’m putting my daughter to bed.”

Being a student parent is also incredibly stressful. Costs of food, housing, clothing, and childcare are high.

“Daycare is a huge issue for all student parents,” said Roberto. “Single parents especially need daycare.”

The cost of school expenses is also an issue. “Many [student parents] may be living paycheck to paycheck. So buying a textbook I hardly ever us is irritating,” said Roberto. “The PDF versions cost way less than the books, so those would be better for classes.”

If a parent gets sick, their child gets sick, their car breaks down, or something worse, it interferes with what little free time they have. “Issues in life (like car troubles) become even worse,” said Roberto.

So how can student parents get assistance with any issues they’re experiencing? As Roberto mentioned, ��Ԫ���� has a Food Pantry located in room 192 (to the left of Financial Aid on the opposite side of the hallway just after the Advising Center). The Food for Thought Food Pantry is run by the Brewer Center for Civic Learning and Community Engagement.

The Brewer Center promotes programs involving service learning, volunteering, internships, and civic outreach. The Food Pantry provides food for any student in need and does not require proof of income.

“If you’re hungry, you’re in need,” said Roberto.

Any and all students are welcome to use the food pantry on campus. In partnership with Food for Thought, the Serving Our Students (SOS) program also helps students in need of foodstuffs, along with transportation, baby supplies, and school supplies.

Roberto is also the president of PSG, a support group for student parents that meets once a month..

The group was established to help parents in both academic and personal areas, such as tutoring or advice on how to manage life as a student parent. The group holds charity events such as toy drives and clothing drives.

From her experiences, Roberto’s advice to student parents is, “Don’t be afraid of the stigma surrounding needing help. It’s okay to get help.”

“Don’t be afraid to talk to your teachers,” she added. “You need to let teachers know at least a little bit of what’s going on so they can try to help you.”

“It’s obviously hard to be a part-time student,” said Roberto. “But you don’t have to rush. Do things at your own pace.”

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