BCC Students to be Inducted Into National Honor Society

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College will hold an induction ceremony for students joining the Xi Alpha Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa on Tuesday, April 24 at 12:30 p.m. in the Boland Theatre of the Koussevitzky Arts Center on the college's main campus in Pittsfield.

Phi Theta Kappa is the national honor society of junior and community colleges in the United States. The purpose of the society is to recognize and encourage scholarship among students.

To be eligible for membership, students with freshman standing (12 to 29 credits) must have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.8 or better. Students with a sophomore standing (30 or more credits) must have achieved a cumulative average of 3.6 or better.

The inductees from Massachusetts are:

Adams: Alexandria Brandon, Sonia McWhirt, Kelsy Pero

Cheshire: Melissa Pantano, Kia Yang

Dalton: Magdelin Bennett, Deidre Brainerd, Hayden Cantoni, Rachel Zink-Kavey

Great Barrington: Sophie Shrum, Andrew Turnbough

Haverhill: Abigail Shin

Hinsdale: Patricia O'Brien

Housatonic: Ryan Higgins

Lanesborough: Alexander Kusick, Nicholas Vlahopoulos

Pittsfield Affordable Housing Initiatives Shine Light, Hope

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
07:08AM / Saturday, December 20, 2025

Housing Secretary Edward Augustus cuts the ribbon at The First on Thursday with housing officials and Mayor Peter Marchetti, state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The holidays are here and several community members are celebrating it with the opening of two affordable housing initiatives. 

 

"This is a day to celebrate," Hearthway CEO Eileen Peltier said during the ribbon-cutting on Thursday. 

 

The celebration was for nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at "The First" located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. A ceremony was held in the new Housing Resource Center on First Street, which was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. 

 

The apartments will be leased out by Hearthway, with ServiceNet as a partner. 

 

Prior to the ribbon-cutting, public officials and community resource personnel were able to tour the two new permanent supported housing projects — West Housatonic Apartments and The First Street Apartments and Housing Resource Center. 

 

The First Street location has nine studio apartments that are about 300 square feet and has a large community center. The West Housatonic Street location will have 28 studio units that range between 300 to 350 square feet. All units can be adapted to be ADA accessible. 

 

The West Housatonic location is still under construction with the hope to have it completed by the middle of January, said Chris Wilett, Hearthway development associate.