Profiles of CSCU Students & Alumni

For Rebecca Wilson, Ed.D., CT State Norwalk placed her on a trajectory in higher education that changed her life.

From being a Stamford High School student dreaming of attending college to becoming an award-winning Coordinator for College and Career Readiness/School Counselor Services at Stamford Public Schools, her career has come full circle.

Wilson credits a Human Services course at Norwalk Community College (now CT State Norwalk) for setting her career in motion. Now, as an adjunct professor at the college, she has been teaching that same course since 2010, and making a difference in the lives of students.

In May 2024, Wilson earned her doctorate in the inaugural Counselor Education and Supervision program at Southern Connecticut State University. She began the program in 2021 and defended her dissertation, “Understanding the Barriers to Achieving Career Goals that Persist for Mentored College Graduates from Underserved Backgrounds.” Her life and educational experiences are the impetus for her doctoral studies, according to Wilson.

She said SCSU’s doctoral program is relevant to her work at Stamford Public Schools and the impact she strives to make in the community. “Having the privilege of being in the first cohort and the first to earn a doctorate in my family is an honor and makes me feel proud and fortunate,” said Wilson. She recently started a consulting business to partner with education institutions and community agencies who work with youth and administer mentoring programs. 

Wilson believes that starting at a community college changed her life and allowed her to continue her education. “When I previously worked as a counselor with high school students, I would tell them to go to a community college and they can go anywhere from there,” she said. “It’s close to home and you become part of the school community, all of which can have a real impact on your life. I can speak from experience.”

As a high school senior, Wilson initially wanted to attend an HBCU or four-year university, but realized she did not have the resources or support to attend college. “I always wanted a college education, and that was not up for debate,” said Wilson. She watched her mother attend college while raising her and her five siblings as a single mother and attributes this to her foundation for desiring a college education. 

At the time, her older sister was attending Norwalk Community College and working in the financial aid office. She enrolled and was a work-study student in the college’s financial aid office. She soon became a teenage mom, but even with a young daughter, Wilson remained focused on remaining on track and earning an associate degree in general studies.

Wilson said Norwalk Community College offered her an excellent educational experience. The staff was interested in student success, and she felt happy, supported, and challenged in a small community she considered family. It was a hard place to leave, she said, but with the help of a mentor outside the college, she set up a plan for a social work bachelor’s degree program.

“If it was possible to continue my education there, I would have never left Norwalk Community College,” she said. In fact, Wilson, of the class of 1997, was one of 60 alumni honored at CT Norwalk’s 2022 commencement and also received the 2015 Norwalk Community College Distinguished Alumni Award.

She is grateful for the mentors she had as a young mother in community college at a time when she needed access to information and support. Martha Strohl, who recently passed away, was her mentor through the Women’s Mentoring Network in Stamford and supported her goal of earning a degree.

“Besides my mother, my research is dedicated to mentors who are still in my life 28 years later,” said Wilson. “My mentor helped me achieve my goals, develop, and provided me exposure. She stayed on my journey with me.”

Wilson then transferred into Sacred Heart University as a working, single mother enrolled in five classes. She attended Sacred Heart for two years, received academic scholarships, graduated with no debt and earned a bachelor’s degree in social work cum laude. She was accepted in the advanced standing program and earned a master’s degree in social work from Fordham University and transitioned into a career.

She began her career in a Head Start program and then took a job at Stamford Public Schools where she was a research associate and then a school counselor. Wilson knew she could help high school students. “There wasn’t a lot of support for people who look like me,” she said.

In her current position, Wilson is head of the Stamford Public School district’s school counseling department. She oversees the school system’s college and career readiness programs and provides support and training for counselors, teachers, and administrators.

She has been very successful in her career. In 2022, she was named the Connecticut School Counselor Association’s (CSCA) Administrator of the Year and in 2023, received the Connecticut Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (CACES) award. 

Now, she still finds time to give back to the people who helped her. Wilson volunteers and is retired board president and board member emeritus at Person to Person, an organization that supports families in lower Fairfield County; was a Women’s Mentoring Network board member; and is a member of the Rowan Center Advisory Council.

Her daughter is also following in her footsteps, graduating from college with a nursing degree and attending graduate school in the fall.

“I always knew the sky was the limit when I left Norwalk Community College (now CT State Norwalk) and I am a very proud graduate and strong supporter of community college education,” Wilson said. “It is an excellent option for all students and adults.”

John Clay Jr., a graduate of both Manchester Community College (now CT State Manchester) and Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), is aiming to innovate the transportation industry by supplying delivery companies across the country with reliable trucks and drivers.

Clay, 28, founded DriverReady in May 2022, a company that supplies logistics, courier, and delivery companies with certified, on-call, independent drivers, and their own 26ft box trucks. Independent contractors are available to fill any last-minute needs, regular contracts, or long-term roles to deliver products.

Logistics, Clay said, is the lifeblood of transportation. His concept for DriverReady is much like Uber that includes a fee to use the web platform. Companies visit his website and request drivers and their box trucks or other vehicles to deliver products from a third -party contractor. Now, Clay is a consulting contractor for XPO Logistics, a large provider of freight transportation services, and his goal is to collaborate with other companies and expand to tractor-trailer requests.

Born in Connecticut, Clay was raised by his mother and father in Virginia where he attended middle and high school and developed small websites. Eventually, he returned to Connecticut to live with his aunt and uncle and decided to attend community college with the goal of transferring to a state university. He enrolled at Manchester with a promise to his family to finish college.

He began his studies as an engineering major and was interested in Management Information Systems, but eventually graduated with an associate degree in general studies. Clay credits his counselors at CT State Manchester with guiding him through his academic program by helping him choose classes and ensuring he followed his graduation timeline. It was challenging he said, but with their help, he successfully graduated.

He then transferred to CCSU where, he said, faculty was supportive. He took two to three classes a semester for about five years, and because of his love of business and entrepreneurship, he majored in marketing and earned his bachelor’s degree in May. While living on his own and working in web development, he was also able to apply what he learned to his real-life experiences, and then would verify it in the field.

Clay began his career in the transportation industry as a dispatcher in a third-party company called Need it Now and was promoted to general manager. He also worked in logistics with Costco, where he managed 12-13 trucks, and had Nestle accounts in New England and Texas with 30 box trucks.

In 2022, with his own savings and a partner — programmer and developer Phil Ginsburg — he founded DriverReady by building a web platform and advertising to get independent contractors to the website. In the beginning, Clay got advice and different perspectives about running a business from CT State Manchester and CSCU professors and learned from his marketing degree program how to talk to people and sell a product.

He is now continuing his work with XPO and is starting a new business model with the goal of working with other large, professional logistics companies to provide trucks to companies that need them. Clay’s vision is to create a network of trucks that people can request, but building towards that goal is challenging.

He would also like to return to his alma mater institutions to speak and help students understand what it takes to start a business. CT State Manchester and CSCU, he said, were affordable and gave him the tools he needed to start a business in the real world. “You just have to be persistent, push forward and don’t give up,” said Clay. “I’ve believed in this company to make it happen.”

Housatonic Community College helped define her career path after being laid off from her travel industry job of 10 years. Tuere was a non-traditional student with children, and HCC provided support through FESP programs, the Student Support Center, and tutoring. While a work-study student in the library, she learned about the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society International, served as PTK treasurer and was a member of the Business Club. Her Business Department professors provided her focus, and she ultimately graduated Summa Cum Laude with an AS degree in accounting.

Tuere credits her professors for thoroughly preparing her to move forward in earning a BS degree in accounting, graduating Summa Cum Laude, and then earning an MSA degree. Tuere now works as an audit associate for KPMG where her work has given her the opportunity to volunteer, guide, advise, and help community college students on the path to an accounting career. She is also an officer in PTK’s New England Regional Alumni Association (NERA) which helps with PTK Regional Conferences.

“I am a proud HCC alum and with what I learned at HCC, I was able to achieve my goal of getting a master’s degree five years after I started.” — Tuere M. Williams, HCC alumna

It’s March Madness for Charter Oak State College graduate Jerome Tang, who is taking his Kansas State Wildcats to the NCAA’s Sweet Sixteen in his first year as head men’s basketball coach.

Under Tang’s confident leadership, the three-seeded Kansas State Wildcats will play the seven-seeded Michigan State Spartans in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament on March 23 at Madison Square Garden — the program’s first deep tournament run since 2018. Tang will also become the first Kansas State head coach to advance to the Sweet 16 in his first season. On March 19 K-State topped the University of Kentucky 75-69 in the NCAA Tournament’s round of 32.

“For a kid from Trinidad to have an opportunity like this, to be part of this March Madness, is really, really special. I’m just extremely thankful and blessed to be here,” said Tang, who graduated from Charter Oak State College in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in general/individualized studies.

Tang is the first full-time Black men’s head basketball coach in Kansas State history. He is the Phillips 66 Big 12 Coach of the Year and is a finalist for the 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's Basketball Coach of the Year. 

He has an interesting background. Tang, 56, was born in Trinidad and Tobago and migrated with his parents Paul and Bano Tang to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. He lived there until he was 10 years old, and then moved with his family to Texas. Tang attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis, before earning a bachelor’s degree from Charter Oak. He and his wife, Careylyen (Rey) have a son, Seven, a daughter, Aylyn, and adopted sons Lamar and Richard Hurd.

Tang was head coach at Heritage Christian Academy in Cleveland, Texas, between 1993 to 2003, turning the team into a strong contender, before starting his tenure at Baylor University in 2003. He was hired as an assistant coach at Baylor under first-year coach Scott Drew, was promoted to associate head coach, and in 2021 helped lead Baylor to a national championship. On March 21, 2022, he was selected as the 25th head men’s basketball coach at Kansas State, taking over for Bruce Weber.

At Kansas State, he instills his philosophy of hard work onto his players. 

“You've got to trust your work. When you put in the work, you can go out there and play confidently. The only reason I'm here is because I work hard. My parents are immigrants, I am an immigrant. Nobody handed us anything. We just out-worked people,” said Tang. “When you out-work people, they make excuses about why they are losing to you, or they've gotta give you credit. We're going to get credit because we are going to be able to step out on the court and trust the work that we put in.”

“Coach Tang is an innovator and a leader who has made CSCU proud all year,” CSCU President Terrence Cheng said. “I am not surprised to see his team’s on-court success, and I join the CSCU community in wishing the coach nothing but the best in the Sweet Sixteen.”

Caroline is a proud Housatonic Community College alumna, who credits the college for changing the trajectory of her educational experience and putting her on the path to a bachelor’s degree in business.

She is now a Senior Search Associate, Executive Search at Frederickson Partners, A Gallagher Company where she is constantly learning about the recruiting and human resources fields.

Caroline is also making an impact as an advisor for Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society International New England Region Alumni Association and is a member of PTK’s Alumni Advisory Board. Congratulations to Caroline on her success, and for being an advocate of our community college alumni.

Juan is currently a third semester student at Gateway Community College, pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. He recently testified in front of the Appropriations Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly to share his personal experience, and raise awareness about the importance of funding in higher education.

He said that sometimes people look down on community college, but Gateway has changed his perspective. Since enrolling, he has had many amazing opportunities ranging from free tutoring, getting a calculator or laptop from the college library, to meeting amazing people in the Family Economic Security Program (FESP) program like Kentha Heng, a FESP coach. Kentha helped Juan with budgeting, locating food resources like the food pantry, and connecting him with his mentor Alfred Guante, M.Ed., who helped Juan obtain a work study opportunity.

Juan said his parents did not attend college, but encouraged him. So, at the age of 26 and despite financial aid problems and being a single father, Juan came to Gateway. “I was determined to not let that stop me anymore and Gateway has been with me all the way.” — Juan Carlos Munoz Palvo, Gateway Community College student

Jessica Holman’s experience as an alumna of Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) and Central Connecticut State University (CCCU) has shaped her academic and professional journey in the field of sexual violence prevention and response.

She began her impressive college career in SCSU Honors College, graduating in 2018 with a BA in English, Professional Writing with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. Jessica is set to graduate in May 2023 from Central Connecticut State University as the first woman in her family to earn a master’s degree. She is a 4.0 GPA student in CCSU’s MS program in Counselor Education with a concentration in Student Development in Higher Education.

Jessica is passionate about using technology to create healthier, safer, and more respectful communities and campuses. She is a Partnership Liaison at REES (Respect, Educate, Empower Survivors), a tech company that creates trauma-informed, online platforms for sexual violence reporting, response, and prevention. Jessica works with institutions of higher education across the United States to ensure that students who experience harm can make informed reporting decisions and connect with advocates in their community to heal and seek justice.

As an undergraduate, Jessica was already a leader, receiving the prestigious Henry Barnard Distinguished Student Award for her leadership in preventing sexual violence and empowering survivors with resources at SCSU.Her undergraduate thesis project designed and implemented bystander intervention training that reached more than 300 first-year students in the fall 2017 semester.

After graduating from SCSU, Jessica continued her journey at Manchester Community College supporting the college’s sexual violence prevention work, and then worked as a sexual and domestic violence advocate and prevention specialist in the greater-Boston area. She eventually returned to New Haven to work for the Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services and HOPE Family Justice Center as the Coordinator of Community Education and supervised CSCU student internships. Jessica also served as a graduate intern in SCSU’s Dean of Students Office and Office of Student Conduct and Civic Responsibility from fall 2021 to January 2023. 

Currently, Jessica is the Prevention and Communications Manager at The Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence. The mission of The Alliance is to prevent sexual violence in Connecticut and foster a statewide network of support for victims and survivors; the Alliance envisions a world in which every person is doing their part to prevent sexual violence, every member center has the resources they need to serve their communities, and every survivor has support. Jessica manages Connecticut Safe Bars, a state-wide project that uses innovative bystander education to empower the hospitality industry to stop sexual harassment, aggression, and assault. Jessica is building healthier, safer, and more respectful communities by fostering digital transformations, building strategic partnerships, facilitating training, and providing technical assistance to build capacity and efficacy for primary prevention of sexual violence accross the state of Connecticut.

“The CSCU system has empowered me with the resources, knowledge, and skills to thrive as a life-long learner and change-maker in the field of sexual violence advocacy and prevention.” — Jessica Holman, SCSU and CCSU alumna

Laura returned to school in her mid-20s, believing she lacked the ability to move forward, but that all changed after enrolling in Manchester Community College. She entered the Adults in Transition program which provided her with a sense of belonging and a ready-made community. Laura credits her mentor, Professor. Egan, who inspired her and helped her thrive, and found the faculty to be brilliant and encouraging. Laura loved every minute at MCC, graduated with a 4.0 GPA, and was inducted into Sigma Xi The Scientific Research Honor Society.

Laura later earned a B.S. and then a doctorate in clinical psychology. She is now a licensed clinical psychologist with a thriving private practice in Mansfield, Connecticut.

“I would never have gone that far and continued on had it not been for my incredible experience at MCC, “I always speak highly of our community college system because it affords people access and opportunity to explore without sacrificing your whole life (and bank account!) “ — Laura Hilton, Psy.D., CEC, Manchester Community College alumna

William Herens is a graduate of Naugatuck Valley Community College, and while there, was an energetic, engaging, and focused nontraditional student who was ready to do whatever he needed to be successful, inside and outside the classroom. He began his academic journey at NVCC because the college was near his job, making it easy to get to work and attend class. At the time, going back to college was intimidating, so he thought it wise to take it slow and return in a cost-effective way at NVCC. He soon discovered an excellent faculty and staff who impacted his life so positively.

He graduated from NVCC with an associate degree in the liberal arts and sciences and is now pursuing his bachelor’s degree in political science. Will believes that higher education has allowed him to realize his full potential. He looks forward to being an even better student as he hopes to earn a master’s degree and then a doctorate.

“The community college system gave me the skills and tools to become a leader — a leader who would pursue more education. The system helped me find purpose in life thanks to the wonderful people who make education possible.” — William Herens, NVCC graduate

An alumnus of two of our institutions, we are proud of the impact he is making in healthcare in Connecticut. What a journey, and what a future! Thank you for being a leader and role model.

“I am a very proud alumnus of not just one but two Connecticut State Colleges & Universities institutions. I graduated with an AS in nursing from Three Rivers Community College,” said Mark. “Then, I attended Central Connecticut State University’s BSN program and graduated Magna Cum Laude.”

“What these learning institutions taught me were valuable and timeless pearls of wisdom that I still continue to use today. Now, I am at the pinnacle of my profession and am practicing in an advanced level capacity as an independent and autonomous Adult Nurse Practitioner. I am board certified through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and am licensed in many states: CT, MA, NH, and NY with pending licensures in PA, FL, NC, and TX. More importantly, because of the knowledge and skill that I have as an ANP and industry wisdom as a Sub-Investigator in clinical research and drug development, I get to have a hand in helping shape and form the armamentarium of pharmacotherapeutics that we use not just in traditional western allopathic medicine in the US but also around the world.” — Mark Anthony Gregorio, CSCU and TRCC alumnus

Isaiah is currently a student at Northwestern Connecticut Community College, pursuing a degree in social work. In 2019, Isaiah graduated from high school, but it wasn’t easy. He didn’t do well academically and had suffered the tragic loss of his stepfather sophomore year.

After high school he went to work and didn’t think higher education was an option. Then he learned about the PACT free community college program. Now he is a social work major with a 3.59 GPA, and a writing tutor and peer mentor helping first year students navigate college and life. His goal is to attend Central Connecticut State University, earn a master's degree, and become a licensed clinical social worker.

Isaiah was also recently selected to be a part of the Oxford Consortium for Human Rights, to learn about human rights and climate change.

Isaiah feels that NCCC and its wonderful faculty and staff are overlooked, as there is a stigma surrounding community colleges. “It’s challenging and hard, but so good because there is an individual aspect to community college and it’s more affordable. For people who think they are not good at education, community college is a good place to start, you are learning and getting a great education.” — Isaiah Grant, Northwestern Connecticut Community College student

Lisa wanted to become a registered nurse but was unsure where to begin. Norwalk Community College helped her take that first step.

Lisa’s story is so honest and real: the youngest of five and a child of immigrants, college was not an option. But later, newly divorced with two young children and working full-time in the beauty industry, a client encouraged her to speak to someone at NCC, where she thrived in the nursing program. Lisa made Dean’s List, became the Nursing Class Faculty Representative, Nursing Club President, member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and in 2015, graduated Cum Laude with an ASN degree.

Lisa is now a psychiatric nurse at Silver Hill Hospital. She has risen through the ranks, from being a floor nurse to a charge nurse to a clinical nurse educator.

“I am forever grateful to all the faculty at Norwalk Community College,” she said. “Their nursing program was challenging, their faculty was up for the challenge, and it prepared me for where I am today.”—Lisa Iaffaldano DiPrato, RN, BSN, Norwalk Community College,