On August 17, more than 600 students were welcomed to Naugatuck Valley Community College by faculty, staff and current students at New Student Orientation. The orientation exceeded last year’s student attendees, making it the largest orientation in the College’s history.

The event began with an open forum and information tables, giving students and their families an opportunity to explore programs and services such as financial aid, mentoring, tutoring, library services, counseling and career advising.

Incoming students Taylor Grenier and Anna Lowe were two of the hundreds of high school graduates to make NVCC their first choice of colleges.

“I chose to come here and major in liberal arts because this school has a good reputation and I feel comfortable here,” Grenier said.

“For me, I knew it costs much less to come here for the first two years while I earn my degree in radiologic technology, and I knew they have a really good program here,” Lowe said. “It seemed like the best decision.”

After enjoying a complimentary breakfast and gathering information, the crowd moved into the Mainstage Theater where they were welcomed by President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., and Dr. Lillian Ortiz, dean of student services. President De Filippis encouraged students to commit themselves fully to their education, make responsible choices and expand their circles of compassion.

“This is the first day of the rest of your life, and you are here because you made the important decision to step towards a better life,” President De Filippis said. “We take pride in our student-centered approach, because here, student success is our expectation. That means if someone is not doing well in the classroom, the staff and faculty go out of their way to make sure that student gets the help they need to succeed.”

Students also heard from NVCC professor William Foster, III and President’s Circle member and student Yovanny Cruz about what to expect during their time at the College. Foster talked about the importance of hard work and persistence. Cruz talked about the importance of taking advantage of the diverse opportunities found at NVCC.

“If I could sum up my experience here in one word, it would be ‘opportunity,’ Cruz said. “Throughout my time here, I’ve grown as a student and as a person overall. The NVCC community has opened so many doors for me with the help of the wonderful people I’ve come to meet. It’s truly changed my life.”

Later, students and parents separated into two groups. Parents participated in a ‘parent boot camp’ with Joan Arbusto, registrar, and students remained at the Mainstage to learn about resources for student success counseling and advising and more.

This spring NVCC awarded the highest number of certificates and degrees in the College’s history, granting 1234 awards-the most of any community college in Connecticut this year.