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In attendance and pictured (left to right) Valerie Kapilow (STEM Implementation Coordinator), Laura Garcia (student mentee of the STEM Mentor Program), Speaker Robert DeLeo (D- Winthrop), Dean of the STEM Division Chitra Javdekar, Cynthia Arbeeny (Sanofi Genzyme).
On Wednesday, March 2, 2016 representatives from our STEM team were invited to attend the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce breakfast as House Speaker Robert DeLeo’s guests. After meeting the group at Sanofi Genzyme’s Framingham office back in the fall of 2015, and being very impressed with our implementation of the STEM Starter Academy, our collaboration with area professionals for the STEM Mentor Program and our partnership with Sanofi Genzyme he invited the group to be a part of his remarks. During the Speaker’s Chamber speech he outlined house priorities for the next year and he applauded MassBay’s STEM program and our collaboration with Sanofi Genzyme.
Background on the STEM Mentor Program: Program provides one-on-one mentor/mentee matching as well as substantive, skills-based and professional development programming throughout the year (STEM Forums). Any student enrolled in a STEM program at MassBay is eligible to participate. Students are matched with professional mentors in their field for the course of the academic year. There are currently 51 mentees and 47 mentors participating in the program. Pairs are required to meet at least once a month in person and to communicate more frequently during the month via phone, e-mail, text. Some common activities include reviewing internship/job applications, providing feedback on a school paper or project, inviting mentee to job shadow mentor at work or to attend a professional event together, discussing course selections or transfer options, doing something social together. The STEM Forums are offered monthly and sometimes more frequently. They programs include career panels, job search workshops, networking events and programs on STEM topics such as Gene Therapy or Drug Discovery.
MassBay Community College was recently ranked by the Brookings Institution as one of the top schools for value added and earned salaries in the workforce. Ranked #1 for 2-year colleges in Massachusetts, #2 in New England and ranked #16 nationally. The College’s facilities in Wellesley Hills, Framingham and Ashland house day, evening and weekend classes that meet the needs of degree-seeking students and career minded life-long learners. Online options provide convenience and allow faculty to facilitate the learning process. Since its founding in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by several governing bodies and strives to meet the needs of the diverse local communities it serves.