MassBay Marketing and Communications Office Recognized with First-Ever National Marketing Award for Inclusive T-Shirt

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Liz Cooper
ecooper@massbay.edu

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. (April 18, 2025) — MassBay Community College’s Marketing and Communications Office has received a 2024 Gold Paragon Award for its American Sign Language (ASL) T-shirt from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) at the council’s national conference last month in New Orleans. The Paragon Awards recognize NCMPR members in multiple categories, celebrating the best in marketing, communications, and design.

The winning design was inspired by MassBay Admission staff member, Lisa Dunn, who is Deaf and wanted to promote inclusion while raising awareness of the Deaf community. This is MassBay’s first-ever Paragon Award.

“It was important to show the students and the wider community that MassBay is a place where everyone belongs,” said Lisa. “We offer ASL classes, interpreters for Deaf students, and employ Deaf staff like me. We are an inclusive community, and I thought, why not celebrate that on a T-shirt?”

The award, in the category of Logo Wear, features “MassBay” spelled out in ASL across the front, ASL “I love you” sign on one sleeve, and the MassBay logo on the other sleeve.

The NCMPR 2024 Paragon Awards drew 1,570 entries from 205 colleges across the country and were judged by 59 professionals in the marketing and public relations industry. Each year, NCMPR hosts a national conference in the spring where Paragon Awards are announced. This year NCMPR concluded a year-long celebration of the organization’s 50th anniversary.

“We are thrilled to receive our college’s first-ever national marketing award, and especially for a work product that is reflective of MassBay's values,” said Jeremy Solomon, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Marketing and Communications. “As is often the case on our campus, this shirt is the culmination of a collaborative effort between MassBay departments, originating with the remarkable Lisa Dunn.”

MassBay is now taking orders for the T-shirt, with 100% of the proceeds from orders going directly to the Nathan Persampieri Scholarship Fund. This special fund was established by Nathan, a former MassBay student and proud alumnus, to provide scholarships for students with disabilities. As someone who lives with disabilities himself, Nathan created the fund to give back to the community that supported him—and to pay it forward to future students pursuing their dreams. T-shirts are $25 and can be ordered via MassBay ASL T-shirts.

The Marketing & Communications team at MassBay is comprised of Solomon, Associate Director of Public Relations Liz Cooper, Associate Director of Marketing Stephen Fisher, Marketing Project Manager Deni Budd, Web Developer Wendy Walsh, Graphic Designer Nate Principato, and Marketing Content Strategist Ashanty Valentin.

MassBay Community College is the most affordable higher education option in MetroWest Boston and is free to most Massachusetts residents without a bachelor’s degree. With more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs, along with comprehensive workforce and educational training, MassBay provides a wide range of courses with flexible day, evening, and weekend classes in Wellesley, Framingham, the Automotive Technology Center in Ashland, and online, in high-demand fields including health and life sciences, computer science, engineering, cybersecurity, business, and the humanities. MassBay students receive unparalleled value, with free one-on-one academic and social support services, compassionate and experienced faculty, and stackable credits that easily transfer to bachelor’s degree programs and that provide hands-on, workforce-ready skills. Health sciences, human services, early childhood education, and many general education programs are offered at the 65,000 square foot, state-of-the-art MassBay Framingham, which has served the community since January 2024. Founded in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by multiple governing bodies and remains dedicated to serving its diverse communities, fostering inclusiveness, and advancing equity for all.