College Notes: December 2012

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West Stockbridge Man 'Coated' at Cornell Veterinary School

ITHACA, N.Y. — Eric Bliss participated in the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine's White Coat Ceremony on Dec. 1, receiving one of the most recognized symbols of the veterinary profession. Bliss is a member of the veterinary college's class of 2014 and is the son of Albert and Aileen Bliss of West Stockbridge, Mass.

"The white coat ceremony marks the transition of students from learning the language and scientific basis of medicine, to learning the art and science of the delivery of medicine," said Dr. Michael I. Kotlikoff, Austin O. Hooey Dean of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell. "Both elements are an essential part of medical education and an appropriate dose of each makes a good doctor."

During the ceremony, veterinarians and faculty who have provided mentorship to the students participated in the ceremony by "coating" the recipients. Bliss was coated by Dr. Monica Kennedy. Similarly, family and friends who have provided support and encouragement were asked to rise and be acknowledged at the time of coating.

 

Drury High Teacher Named 'Unsung Hero' by Former Student

COLCHESTER, Vt. — Drury High School teacher Molly Meczywor was selected as an "Unsung Hero" in the Saint Michael's College Teacher Recognition Program.

Meczywor, an English teacher, was nominated by Nolan Woods, who is a graduate of Drury High School in North Adams, Mass., and a current first-year student at Saint Michael's.

"I want to recognize her because she put up with 30 seniors who did not want to be there all year," he said. "I did not realize it at the time, but what I learned in that class really prepared me for college writing courses."

Jerry Flanagan, college vice president for admission and enrollment management, said the recognition program honors "teachers who provide their students with the academic skills and moral support necessary to be successful in post-secondary pursuits."

 

Enrollment, Acceptance & Studies

Amada Crespin of Pittsfield, a junior at Gettysburg College, spent the fall 2012 semester studying in England.
 

Dean's List & Honors
 

Shelby M. Sebring, the daughter of Barry and Tamala Sebring of Lanesborough, has been named to Randolph-Macon Academy's president's list for the first quarter of the 2012-13 school year for achieving a GPA of 4.0 or higher. Sebring is a sophomore at the college perp boarding school.

Olivia Wilber of Great Barrington was named to the dean's list at Dean College in Franklin for the fall 2012 semester. Wilber is also active on campus as a member of the Photography Club.

Mason Cranmer, Kaitlyn Faucher and Megan Kolis, all of Adams, Kevin McLaughlin of Pittsfield and Dante Vittone of Lanesborough have been named to the dean's list for the fall 2012 semester at the University of New Haven (Conn.)


Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology has named the following students to the dean's list for the fall 2012 quarter:

Amanda Errichetto of Pittsfield; senior in the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.

Michael Keegan of Pittsfield; junior in the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.

Daniel Mansen of Lanesborough; junior in the College of Liberal Arts.


Timothy Reynolds of Ashley Falls; sophomore in the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.
 

Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y., has named the following local students to the dean's and president's lists for the fall 2012 semester. The students and their fields of study are:

Dean's list (grade-point average between 3.0 and 3.5)

Garrett Norton of Housatonic; automotive technical service.

Jeremy Welsh of North Adams; heating/air conditioning/refrigeration technical services.

Kaitlyn Walton of Pittsfield; dental hygiene.

Travis Wilton of West Stockbridge; automotive technical service.

Zachary Wilton of West Stockbridge; automotive technical service.

President's list  (GPA 3.5 to 4.0)

Sara Sworzen of Adams; dental hygiene.

Kenneth Benson of Great Barrington; computer information dystems, Web design and programming

Dylan Seward of Great Barrington; construction.

Cameron Guillou of Pittsfield; automotive management.

Conner Haughey of Pittsfield; automotive technical service.

Daniel Kochapski of Pittsfield; mortuary science academic program.

 

iBerkshires lists honors and news for local college students or for those attending private schools outside the area by month under "College Notes." Have your school send information to info@iberkshires.com.


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Capeless Students Raise $5,619 for Charity

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Students at Capeless Elementary School celebrated the season of giving by giving back to organizations that they feel inspired them.

On Monday night, 28 fourth-grade students showed off the projects they did to raise funds for an organization of their choice. They had been given $5 each to start a small business by teachers Jeanna Newton and Lidia White.

Newton created the initiative a dozen years ago after her son did one while in fifth grade at Craneville Elementary School, with teacher Teresa Bills.

"And since it was so powerful to me, I asked her if I could steal the idea, and she said yes. And so the following year, I began, and I've been able to do it every year, except for those two years (during the pandemic)," she said. "And it started off as just sort of a feel-good project, but it has quickly tied into so many of the morals and values that we teach at school anyhow, especially our Portrait of a Graduate program."

Students used the venture capital to sell cookies, run raffles, make jewelry, and more. They chose to donate to charities and organizations like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Berkshire Humane Society and Toys for Tots.

"Teaching them that because they have so much and they're so blessed, recognizing that not everybody in the community has as much, maybe not even in the world," said Newton. "Some of our organizations were close to home. Others were bigger hospitals, and most of our organizations had to do with helping the sick or the elderly, soldiers, people in need."

Once they have finished and presented their projects, the students write an essay on what they did and how it makes them feel.

"So the essay was about the project, what they decided to do, how they raised more money," Newton said. "And now that the project is over, this week, we're writing about how they feel about themselves and we've heard everything from I feel good about myself to this has changed me."

Sandra Kisselbrock raised $470 for St. Jude's by selling homemade cookies.

"It made me feel amazing and happy to help children during the holiday season," she said.

Gavin Burke chose to donate to the Soldier On Food Pantry. He shoveled snow to earn money to buy the food.

"Because they helped. They used to fight for our country and used to help protect us from other countries invading our land and stuff," he said.

Desiree Brignoni-Lay chose to donate to Toys for Tots and bought toys with the $123 she raised.

Luke Tekin raised $225 for the Berkshire Humane Society by selling raffle tickets for a basket of instant hot chocolate and homemade ricotta cookies because he wanted to help the animals.

"Because animals over, like I'm pretty sure, over 1,000 animals are abandoned each year, he said. "So I really want that to go down and people to adopt them."

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