CSCU Profiles
Students & Alumni
Profiles
William Herens
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
Jessica Holman
Jessica Holman’s experience as an alumna of Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) and master’s degree candidate at Central Connecticut State University (CSCU), 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 created 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 HOPE Family Justice Center as 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.
“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 alumna and CCSU master’s degree candidate
Jerome Tang
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.”
Tuere Williams
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
Caroline Steadham
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 Carlos Munoz Polvo
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
Laura Hilton, Psy.D., CEC.
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
Mark Anthony Gregorio
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 Grant
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 Iaffaldano DiPrato
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,
Charleene Marie Alvarez
Charleene is a first generation Hispanic student at Housatonic Community College, who after facing many challenges, proudly completed her first semester in December.
Charleene considers Housatonic Community College the best institution to help her academically and has made meaningful friendships along the way. She is thankful to work with committed and dedicated faculty and staff, with the goal of earning an associate degree in English. Charleene aspires to transfer to Central Connecticut State University to earn both a BA and MA degree in English with a concentration in secondary education to become a certified high school English teacher.
“I am humbled and proud of being a first-generation Hispanic undergraduate student, pursuing an associate of arts degree in English in the heart of my hometown at Housatonic Community College,” she said. “I am not only community college proud, but I am higher education proud!” — Charleene Marie Alvarez, Housatonic Community College student