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Three hundred and thirty five candidates for graduation participated in the commencement ceremony and received bachelor of science, bachelor of arts, and associate of science degrees.

Judge Mathis addressed the enthusiastic Class of 2013, exhorting them to “make your lives matter.” He shared his story of challenges: after finishing law school and passing the bar, he was made to wait for three years before he was allowed to receive his license to practice law because of his past criminal record. He encouraged the graduates to persevere, even when the door to opportunity may seem closed.

Becker College bestowed upon Judge Mathis an honorary doctorate degree of humane letters. Mathis was honored for his commitment to advocating for equal justice and for his career of public service.

“Judge Mathis’s journey from his troubled youth on the streets of Detroit to his distinguished career as a judge, television host, and philanthropist is an inspiring tale of individual achievement and social responsibility,” said Becker College President Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D.  “At Becker, we believe there is no limit to the heights that can be reached by individuals who refuse to accept limits and insist on the pursuit of opportunity. Judge Mathis is the personification of that vision.”

In addition to hosting his eponymous award-winning television court show, Mathis is dedicated to offering youth second chances and spreads his message of empowerment and equal justice as he speaks to audiences all across the country. His national education and youth crusades have attracted tens of thousands of parents and students throughout America.

In his efforts to reach out to youth both in and outside of the courtroom, Judge Mathis and his wife, Linda, have assisted thousands of youth with their non-profit agency Young Adults Asserting Themselves (Y.A.A.T.), an outreach initiative that provides youth ages 17-25 with career and job opportunities as well as job training and college enrollment assistance.

They have also opened five non-profit preschools in the inner city of Detroit, while continuing to raise funds for a variety of equal justice political and youth causes.

The College also awarded an honorary doctoral degree to Worcester, Mass. City Manager Michael V. O’Brien. O’Brien was recognized for his career of service to the city and the citizens of Worcester.

“We are proud to honor City Manager O’Brien with one of two honorary degrees we will award this year,” said Becker College President Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. “Mr. O’Brien has worked with leaders throughout the Commonwealth and capitalized on Worcester’s strengths to begin a lasting transformation. His contributions and commitment to this city are a source of inspiration and resonate with the Becker College mission.”

Becker College awards honorary doctoral degrees to individuals who merit its highest recognition by attaining achievements of extraordinary and lasting distinction and demonstrating personal and professional qualities that are consistent with the mission and values of Becker College.

Appointed city manager in 2004, the overarching theme of O’Brien’s administration has been to preserve, protect, and enhance the quality of life for all residents and resident businesses in Worcester. Worcester, New England’s second largest city, is now rated one of the safest communities of its size in the country and is experiencing more than $2.4 billion in economic development activity.

Under O’Brien’s leadership, Worcester is in the midst of one of the most aggressive economic development agendas in the Commonwealth today.  Major public and private investments underway include: the first phases of the City Square project in Downtown, valued at nearly $200 million; a $23 million dollar expansion for the very successful DCU Arena ; and hundreds of other new projects, both large and small, building off the foundation of the assets of the City and better positioning the community for the 21^st century.  This includes the enhancements to mass-transit, such as the new $11 million Worcester Regional Transit Authority headquarters in Washington Square – complementing the area as the region’s inter-modal transportation center with daily MBTA commuter rail service to Boston and Amtrak service to several major cities.  Most recently, O’Brien was instrumental in bringing JetBlue Airways to the Worcester Regional Airport.

Additional awards of distinction were presented to graduating seniors. The President’s Award, which recognizes a graduate who has shown outstanding school spirit, leadership, and community service, was presented to Brooke Cote (veterinary science, pre-vet). Theresa Boulier (honors psychology) received the Samuel May Award, which recognizes a graduate who has shown scholastic achievement, excellence in character, and leadership.

Dean’s Awards, given to the graduates with the highest grade point averages in the bachelor’s and associate’s degree programs, were presented to Jennifer Wallace (criminal justice) for the bachelor’s program, and Rachel Carter (veterinary technology)for the associate’s program.

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For several years, Becker College animal studies students have applied to volunteer with the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association Charities Mazunte Turtle Project.  The students selected spend more than 100 hours over one week in January to assist in the spaying, neutering, and deworming of overpopulations of stray dogs, which eat turtle eggs and hatchlings. In 2012, three Becker students participated, and at the conclusion of the project, more than 1,400 baby sea turtles had been released and more than 280 cats and dogs had been spayed and neutered in 15 towns.

“I have been involved with the Mazunte Turtle Project for two years—and it is such an amazing experience!” says Brooke Cote ’13 (pictured below, center, with fellow Becker students Danielle Craven [r] and Whitney Smith [l]). “It is so rewarding to know that just a small  group of people can make a huge impact over such a short period of time. The continual commitment and determination to spay and neuter as many dogs and cats as we can in only one week out of the whole year can truly make a difference for the rest of the world. I know when I get older and have children and grandchildren, I will want them to be able to go to aquariums or beaches and see sea turtles in real life. It would be so devastating for such an awesome animal to go away forever.”

Not only do turtles and dogs benefit from the project; humans do as well. The turtles draw tourists to towns along the Oaxacan coast, and the decrease in stray dogs and improved health of treated dogs have resulted in increased safety to promote a more robust tourist economy. Cote, who is president of the Becker College Student Government Association and an active student leader, created the Becker Mazunte Turtle Project student organization, which raises funds on campus to cover much of the trip’s expenses.

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Becker College President Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. announced the name of the George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Campus Center, in recognition of leadership support, at a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony Friday, September 21, at 10:30 a.m., on its Leicester, Mass., campus.

The speaking program included Becker College President Johnson, Becker Trustee Chair Arthur P. (Jay) DiGeronimo, Becker Senior Vice President and CFO David Ellis, Senator Michael O. Moore (D-Millbury), Mass. Representative John J. Binienda (D-Worcester), Leicester Selectman Dianna Provencher, architect William J. Masiello, and Becker College Student Government Association President Brooke Cote ’13.

The new Campus Center is a $9.5 million 35,727-square-foot facility which includes:

• Red brick, architectural concrete, and glass, linked to the existing 15,000-square-foot Student Center with a neo-classical masonry tower
• A 254-seat dining hall, featuring ingredients from local growers, windows offering spectacular vista views, and a brick oven
• A spacious fitness center with cardio and strength-training equipment, and flat-screen televisions
• A mirrored fitness classroom with floating hardwood floor
• A game room with video game stations, and pool and ping pong tables
• A large, glass-and-stainless-steel stairway, against a photographic mural displaying the Becker College mission, opens to the second floor
• Quiet study space, with computers
• An expansive outdoor patio
• Renovated main entrance approach and parking area

The Campus Center was also constructed using the following green elements:

• Carpets, windows, and ceilings made from recycled material
• Cool flat roofs
• High-efficiency HVAC
• Heat recovery systems
• Low-water use plumbing fixtures
• Energy-saving LED lighting
• Energy-saving control systems
• Natural daylight provided by bays of window to capture sunlight and views, reducing electrical consumption
• High-performance solar-reducing glazing to minimize air conditioning demand

In addition, significant renovations were made to the adjacent Student Center, connected to the new building by a glass-enclosed walkway, including the new Health and Wellness Suite, triple the size of its previous space; a new and expanded College bookstore; the new Student Administrative Services Suite for registrar, financial aid, and student accounts; and additional offices for Student Affairs staff.

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Be sure to read ALL the guidelines below before choosing whether to vote in your college community (Worcester or Leicester, Mass.) or at your prior address (your hometown).

As a Becker College student, you are eligible to register to vote based on your on- or off-campus address.

Should I register and vote in my college community?

The right to vote is fundamental in a democratic society. The following information will help make it easy for you to exercise this right.

To be eligible to vote, you must be a U.S. citizen who will be at least 18 years old on Election Day, and you must also have registered to vote.

If you are in college, the following information will help you to decide whether to vote in your prior district/state or at your college address. There are many good reasons for registering and voting at either residence, but keep in mind, in most cases the final choice is really yours.

Am I really a resident of my college community?

Yes. Students live in their college towns anywhere from nine to twelve months of the year, often for four years. This means that students are no more transient than the average American family, which typically moves once every four years. Moreover, the U.S. Census Bureau considers students to be residents of their college community. Federal funds are distributed to municipalities based on figures that include the student population.

Should I register and vote in my college community?

You do have a vested interest in the local issues of your college community. Issues such as off-campus housing and zoning restrictions, the environment, taxes, transportation and personal safety all affect your quality of life. Voting in your college community is more convenient and relieves you of the need to apply for and return an absentee ballot. If you consider the college community your primary residence, you should vote in the community.

IMPORTANT!! What if I am subject to taxes, loans, and scholarships at my prior address?

It is possible that you are still subject to taxes and student loan/scholarship regulations at your prior address. If you have a scholarship funded by the state, or a privately funded scholarship designated for a local student, be sure to check the terms of your scholarship before registering in your local college community. You could lose your eligibility.

I am currently registered at my prior address. Am I allowed to reregister in my college community instead of voting by absentee ballot?

In Massachusetts, you have the right to vote in your college community, but you cannot be registered to vote in both locations.

Should I register at my prior address?

If you don’t consider your college community your primary residence and/or you have a special interest in the local issues at your old address, you have a good reason for voting there. Also, the people and issues you vote for will have a more lasting impact on you if you intend to return to that location to live.

Remember, if you want to vote at your prior residence, you must be registered at that address and be aware of absentee ballot regulations and procedures.

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Storm Warning: Why Higher Ed Needs New Leadership Now

A perfect storm roils the horizon of higher education. Three towering and swiftly moving storms—affordability, student loan debt, and seismically shifting demographics—are about to collide. The power of their convergence and the resulting collateral damage will challenge the very survival of colleges that refuse to evolve. The perfect storm will shake our industry to the core if we are not equally swift to throw off an outdated paradigm. A new generation of college presidents must step up to confront the turbulent landscape that will be the “new normal.”

Read more.

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The adult students inducted into Alpha Sigma Lambda have attained a high level of academic excellence. They come from many walks of life, and they began or returned to college for a variety of reasons, but with a common goal in mind: to attain personal and professional success through education.

Jason Berthiaume is a single father of three daughters who relocated to Massachusetts from southern California. He resumed his college career in 2009 and expects to graduate from Becker, with honors, in May 2012.

Kenneth King has worked as a truck driver and as a military instructor on a submarine. A father of three sons, he is on his way to realizing his dream of becoming an elementary school teacher. King expects to graduate from Becker in May 2012.

Pamela Yaylaian is a pharmacy supervisor and a grandmother, working toward a degree in business management.

Chrystian Zdybowicz came to the United States from England and works in the biotech industry. After completing a bachelor’s degree in business management at Becker, Zdybowic plans to go on to earn a master’s in business administration.

Membership in Alpha Sigma Lambda requires that each inductee be matriculated and have a minimum of 24 graded semester hours, or the equivalent, in an undergraduate program. Members are selected only from the highest 20 percent of the class and must have a minimum grade-point index of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale.

Thirty Becker College adult students were inducted in Alpha Sigma Lambda in 2010.

Alpha Sigma Lambda is a non-profit organization devoted to the advancement of scholarship and recognition of nontraditional students pursuing higher education.  The honor society and its member institutions recognize the special achievement of adult students who accomplish academic excellence while maintaining commitments to family and career.

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