President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D. congratulated students for excelling in their studies and choosing to make the most of their experience at the College. “As I look around this evening, I see many reasons to celebrate,” said President De Filippis. “We celebrate the courage to embrace hard work and change, the perseverance to overcome challenges and stay the course, and the triumph of the human spirit in each of your faces.” President De Filippis thanked the College’s faculty, professional staff and management team, and community partners for their dedication to NVCC’s mission. She recognized fellow college presidents and colleagues who were on hand to award four President-to-President Scholarships to graduating NVCC students transferring to a four-year college or university.

 The evening featured a total of 87 schoarships, including many awards from local foundations. Sponsored by Fairfield County’s Community Foundation (FCCF), the Pasculano Scholarships were presented to current full-time undergraduate students who have a history of academic achievement. To be considered for this scholarship a student must be a  candidate from the  Female Family Economic Security Program (FESP) with a GPA of at least a 3.0, a record of campus service or activity, and plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree at an accredited four-year university or college.  They must plan to attend college full-time, or enroll in at least three-quarters of the college classes each semester to maintain their scholarship eligibility.  From the NVCC Class of 2017, 2 FESP students were eligible for Pasculano Transfer Scholarships. Awarded by FCCF, these transfer scholarships are in the amount of $5,000 in a scholarship grant, per year, for 2 years. NVCC students, Emily Solla and Angelica Idrovo, both 2017 graduates received the awards this year.

The ceremony also included memorial scholarships and industry awards recognizing students of distinction, including the Ruth Ann Leever Memorial Scholarship, presented to a student who has shown excellence in music, the Connecticut Horticulture Society Scholarship, awarded to one student showing outstanding achievement in the field of horticulture, and six annual scholarships from The Siemon Company for manufacturing and engineering students.

 Students who were inducted into the College’s honor societies were also recognized during the ceremony. New members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, which recognizes outstanding academic achievement, totaled 147. Ten students were honored for their induction into the Alpha Beta Gamma business honor society. Epsilon Pi Tau, which encourages academic excellence of students in fields devoted to the general study of technology, inducted 19 members during the 2016-17 academic year.