Two Berkshire College Students Honored By Governor

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Photos courtesy of the governor's office.
Karla Pauta, above, and Amanda Ok were honored at the State House on Thursday for their student leadership and academic success.
BOSTON, Mass. — Two Berkshire college students were honored by Gov. Deval Patrick at the State House on Thursday for their academic success, student leadership and community service.

Pittsfield native Karla Pauta, now studying at Berkshire Community College, and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts student Amanda Ok, originally from Ayer, were chosen for the annual 29 Who Shine award.

Staff at each of the state's 29 schools — one from each of the state's community college and university.

Pauta, a liberal arts major with a concentration in biological sciences, came to Pittsfield as a young teenager from Ecuador and graduated Pittsfield High School in 2008. She then went on the BCC, where she is an honors student with a 3.5 grade-point average.

Outside of the classroom, Pauta is a member of the Student Government Association, the Multicultural Student Service Organization, student representative of BCC's presidential search committee and participates in the annual cancer walk.


Pauta plans to transfer to a four-year college and pursue a career in biotechnology. Her hope is to ultimately go to medical school and become a pediatrician.

Ok, a biology major, has maintained excellent grades while working her way through college on her own. Ok has been working as a pharmacy technician and is hoping to pursue a career in medicine.

Ok has been financially on her own since age 17 and has lived off campus while going to MCLA. On the side she is a disc jockey at the college radio station. She plans to move to Boston after graduation and apply for a master's program to study acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

"Amanda and Karla's story reminds us all of the power of education to transform lives," Patrick said of the two. "Investing in them is exactly how we invent a brighter future for Massachusetts."

Tags: awards,   community college,   MCLA,   

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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