Mitchell College recently hosted a Community Partner Breakfast that included representatives from 28 organizations in Southeastern Connecticut who joined Mitchell staff and faculty to explore partnerships to provide student learning opportunities and meet employer needs. The organizations represented both current and potential partners in behavioral health, culture and tourism, disability services, education, healthcare, immigration support services, mental health services, and suicide prevention and awareness.

In addition to looking at the value of long- and short-term partnerships as pathways for students to be service learners, interns and potential employees, participants discussed how Mitchell College could provide other resources to help their organizations advance their own missions and also assist in solving local community challenges.

Mitchell College strives to continue to form and strengthen a symbiotic relationship with community partners that can offer students work experience, industry insights, skills development, mentorships and professional contacts, while giving community organizations access to a talent pipeline. Benefiting the local and regional community, these relationships can also lead to higher rates of civic engagement, increased awareness of relevant issues, a healthier community, enhanced reputation and culture and problem solving.

Participating organizations (alpha order):

• New London Public Schools
• Project LEARN
• Reliance Health
• Riverfront Children’s Center
• Safe Futures
• SARAH, Inc.
• Salvation Army
• Sound Community Services
• The Arc Eastern Connecticut
• The Light House
• United Community & Family Services
• United Way of Southeastern CT
• Waterford Country School
• Waterford Public Schools

Commendable Scholars

Frank Aguanno | Syosset, NY

Julia Alves | Portsmouth, RI

Jakobe Anderson | Franklin Park, NJ

Kyle Anderson | Cromwell, CT

Noslin Antunez | Westbrook, CT

Avery Appiah | Old Saybrook, CT

Amanda Arnold | Groton, CT

Sophie Arseneau | Kankakee, IL

Amal Bahili-Elidrissi | Meriden, CT

Joshua Bar-Nadav | Narberth, PA

Anthony Bautista | Coram, NY

Isaiah Benson | New London, CT

Rajiah Betts-Smith | Windsor, CT

Taylor Bialowas | Jewett City, CT

Joseph Bielinski | Doylestown, PA

Nicholas Bracale | East Haven, CT

Christopher Bradley | Babylon, NY

Paige Broadbent | Binghamton, NY

Philip Burns | West Dennis, MA

Joseph Bynum | Groton, CT

Jade Cain | Danbury, CT

Robert Campbell | Glastonbury, CT

Jadon Canelli | Northford, CT

Marisa D’Agostino | Niantic, CT

Lyliana Daly | Teaneck, NJ

Giuseppe Del Prete | Bronxville, NY

Byron Dunn | Westerly, RI

Nathan Elder | Littleton, CO

Louis Fazio | White Plains, NY

Alicia Fitzgerald | Farmington, CT

Isabel Foley | Framingham, MA

Aidan Fontaine | Mystic, CT

Nicholas Forst | Ellington, CT

Grant Frieser | New London, CT

Angel Galindez | Hamden, CT

Anne Gallagher | Henrico, VA

Crystal Gangi | New Fairfield, CT

Camelia Garcia-Torres | New London, CT

Kenyada Gedeon | Irvington, NJ

Nia Gethers | Norwich, CT

Nicholas Ghirardi | Salem, CT

Aizhane Glenn | New Haven, CT

Keeano Gonzalez | New London, CT

Michael Grey | East Islip, NY

Alexys Hanes | Old Lyme, CT

Elizabeth Hennessy | Norwood, NJ

Valois Hernandez | Norwich, CT

Aidan Jacobson | Branford, CT

Mamadou Kaba | New London, CT

Edward Kaftan | Old Lyme, CT

Liam Kane | Waterford, CT

Anna Kochansky | Bronxville, NY

Emma LaBreck | Rollinsford, NH

Jason Landis | Summit, NJ

Brandon Lee | Stockton, CA

Benjamin Logel | Pawcatuck, CT

Armando Lopez | Maplewood, NJ

Edward Lugo | New London, CT

Logan Maneri | Canterbury, CT

Chelsea Marcano | Bronx, NY

Mckenzie Marshall | Wallingford, CT

Ana Matos Diaz | New London, CT

Antonio Mattucci | Huntington, NY

Daniel Melchreit | Old Lyme, CT

Tevin Merrill | New London, CT

Sara Milkowski | Manasquan, NJ

Keyara Miller | Panama City, FL

Isabel Montenegro | Alexandria, VA

Chloe Morrissey | Hingham, MA

Owen Murphy | Milton, MA

Alexander Nardone | Wellesley Hills, MA

James Nascimento | West Hartford, CT

William O’Toole | East Greenwich, RI

Dontae Pollard | Fort Walton Beach, FL

Maxwell Pomponi | Norwalk, CT

Emily Pratts | New London, CT

Duncan Quinn | Middletown, RI

Julianna Repaci | New Britain, CT

Rachel Ricciuti | East Northport, NY

Liam Robb | Westfield, NJ

Owen Robbins | Salem, CT

Charlotte Rowley | Bedford, NY

Emily Sargent | Westerly, RI

Andee Schaffran | Olympia, WA

Dominique Seignious | Norwich, CT

Kenny Sheehan-Heon | Uncasville, CT

Thomas Simmons | Holtsville, NY

Marcel Smith | New Britain, CT

Chadler Solomon | Los Angeles, CA

Izabela Souza | Medford, MA

Deasia Stevenson | Hartford, CT

Nicholas Strojny | Woonsocket, RI

Luke Sullivan | Shelton, CT

Bishop Taylor | Crestview, FL

Brooke Taylor | Uncasville, CT

Casey Tichy | Easton, CT

Jack Varley | Colonia, NJ

Camren Varney | Manchester, NH

Christian Villacci | Nesconset, NY

Joseph Volkerts | New London, CT

Alexia Watson | Stamford, CT

Brooke Whitmarsh | Portsmouth, RI

Tyelisa Wilson | Ledyard, CT

Bo Yaworski | Brooklyn, CT

Grace Yeung | Belle Mead, NJ

Mitchell College has spent 2022 preparing to meet the new needs of students and the community as it builds forward to ensure student success. With its newly launched five-year strategic plan, “Illuminating Mitchell College’s Future: A Bold Plan for a Kaleidoscope of Learners,” Mitchell College is poised to welcome 2023 with an exciting slate of new programs and initiatives, expanding opportunities for its kaleidoscope of learners while providing holistic supports to help each individual student reach their greatest potential.

This plan will continue to move the college forward, deepening connections and service to the community, serving a greater and more diverse student body through expanded, industry-demand programs and aligning infrastructure with the needs of the students of today and in the future.

“First and foremost, Mitchell College is committed to being a community of belonging for our broad group of learners,” said President Tracy Y. Espy, Ph.D. “This is the place where they can come to meet their educational needs, learn other valuable life skills and, through advocacy and support, discover their true potential. Mitchell strives to be a movement in educating a kaleidoscope of learners, not just an institution.”

In 2022, Mitchell College successfully achieved a $1 million match to its record-breaking $3 million gift from earlier in the year and, thanks to help from U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), recently received $550,000 in federal funding to support its new Digital Innovation Hub for Educational Excellence (DIHEE).

The DIHEE, preparing to launch in January, will “upskill” the adult regional workforce, offering industry-demand programs via certifications, badges, micro-credentials and advanced credentials in the STEM and mental health fields. Located in the Mitchell College Library, the DIHEE will provide technical and learning support via written and video resources and live sessions, as well as opportunities for peer engagement. The DIHEE aligns with the workforce development goals laid out by Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and will meet the needs of the region.

Answering another community need, Mitchell College will introduce in 2023 a post-graduate learning program with multi-level supports for neurodivergent individuals. Skills Training, Advancement and Individual Readiness (STAIR), a 1- to 2-year program, builds on the inclusive nature of the Mitchell College educational experience by offering more recent college graduates additional guidance, tools and support for their next steps of career or graduate school. The program includes two main components:  AIM Basics, focused on independent living, career readiness, social and interpersonal skills and holistic wellness, with the goal of developing self-sufficiency and independence; and Program Hubs, which include a choice of focus on either career preparation or academic exploration and graduate school preparedness.

Programs to support student mental wellness at Mitchell will also be launched in 2023:

• Thanks to funding from the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, Mitchell College will offer the BLOSSOM Project, which aims to teach female students, spanning the range of neurodiversity, to set safe boundaries with friends and partners, critical to a healthy environment where all can learn and thrive in safety. The project will include group workshops to educate, train, raise awareness and build self-confidence for students to “blossom” as they develop and strengthen their sense of self-worth. It also includes a “Women’s Empowerment” event, open to the public, that will be both a celebration and a powerful, motivating educational event.

• Mitchell College is also participating in a nationwide initiative of The Jed Foundation (JED), designed to help institutions evaluate and strengthen their mental health, substance misuse and suicide prevention programs and systems to ensure that schools have the strongest possible mental health safety net. After completing a self-assessment, Mitchell will collaborate over four years with JED to implement enhancements.

• College-age young adults may be more susceptible to problem gambling. Mitchell College, through a grant from the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, and in partnership with local experts, will promote Problem Gambling Awareness through activities that promote healthy and responsible decisions around gambling.  Activities include information sessions from area casinos, gambling addiction experts and those in recovery, and training to help campus staff to recognize signs of gambling-related problems.

Watch for announcements early next year as Mitchell College continues to launch industry-driven programming, including new majors in computer sciences and business management and an exciting master-level partnership with the University of Saint Joseph.

A wave of momentum is building on the beautiful beachfront campus of Mitchell College, where commitment to students and community will continue to deepen and grow in 2023 and beyond.

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) recently visited the Mitchell College campus to present the College with newly released Community Project funding of $550,000 for its Digital Innovation Hub for Educational Excellence (DIHEE). Mitchell College President Tracy Y. Espy, Ph.D., received the check on behalf of the College, joined by trustees Michael J. O’Connor and Nancy Dolan, New London Mayor Michael Passero, State Representative Anthony Nolan, Mitchell College students Aizhane Glenn, Nia Gethers and Thomas Simmons, as well as other College stakeholders involved in the project.

Courtney was instrumental in securing the funding for the DIHEE, which will offer industry-demand programs via certifications, badges, micro-credentials and advanced credentials in STEM and Mental Health fields. Karen Bellnier, director of digital innovation, was hired to administer the program, partnering with college officials and professional organizations to develop new programming.

Bellnier said, “The DIHEE marks a new direction for Mitchell College and allows us to meet the learning needs of the adult regional workforce. Learners will engage with micro-credential learning, dubbed ‘the Mitchell Micro,’ to prepare to earn industry certifications and strengthen business skills. Learner support is a key component of the Mitchell Micro, and the Hub will provide help with tools and technology, learning success and connecting with careers and community, digitally and on campus. Located in the Mitchell College Library, the Hub will provide technical and learning support via written and video resources and live sessions, and opportunities for peer engagement.”

Professional certification preparation includes IT, cybersecurity and project management, as well as Lean Six Sigma Yellow & Green. Courses will prepare learners to take certification exams and provide vouchers to take the exam.

The Mitchell College Library will house flexible learning and collaboration spaces and provide access to computers and support staff for the digital learning supported by the Digital Innovation Hub.

President Espy said, “Meeting the needs of the community and regional industry to prepare the workforce for in-demand careers is paramount to the well-being of our region and our state. The DIHEE provides access, connectedness and flexibility to a whole new group of learners who are seeking to upskill and expand their job opportunities. We are grateful that Congressman Courtney supports Mitchell College’s vision to support and grow Connecticut’s workforce in alignment with the state’s workforce development goals, and the needs of the region.”