Recent Mitchell College graduate Roland Thivierge ’21 was selected as the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Male Senior Student-Athlete of the Year, as announced by the conference on Tuesday, June 8.

Thivierge becomes the fourth Mitchell student-athlete—and first from the baseball team—to win the award, which is given annually to the top male senior from among the six NECC institutions. The award recognizes athletics and academics successes while also factoring in leadership and community service components, and is determined by a vote of the conference’s Athletic Directors.

Read the full story about Roland and other news from Mitchell College Athletics here.

Mitchell College looks forward to welcoming our returning and incoming students to campus for Fall 2021 with:

• in-person classes
• in-person career experiences and internships
• back-to-normal residence life and dining
• a full slate of campus activities, athletics and performing arts events, and community service and engagement opportunities

Learn more at mitchell.edu/fall-2021.

Mitchell College recently announced the new 2021 North Star Scholarship Fund, providing a way for Mitchell College alumni, donors and friends to be a part of closing the higher education equity gap. If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to directly impact students with a scholarship gift, this is it. Learn more and give at mitchell.edu/north-star.

Mitchell College is delighted to announce Dr. Christopher Parker, president and chief executive officer of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), as commencement speaker for our 77th Commencement exercises.  He will be addressing the Class of 2021 as part of Mitchell’s virtual commencement ceremony, on Saturday, May 8, at 6 p.m., accessed from the College’s Commencement webpage.

Dr. Parker has led the NJCAA, comprised of more than 500 colleges, since 2017, and is deeply committed to access to higher education for all students through a variety of pathways – including through athletics.  He has deep experience in higher education leadership and not-for-profit management in both the Virginia Community College System and Pfeiffer University and also serves on the boards of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the United States International Federation.  Ensuring students have access and encouragement to realize their fullest potential is at the heart of all that Dr. Parker does.

Read more about Dr. Parker and Mitchell’s 77th Commencement events here.

Nearly one year ago, following the killing of George Floyd, the country and the world erupted in demonstrations and protests demanding change to our systems and a more equitable democracy.

The April 20 verdict of guilty on all counts in the trial of Derek Chauvin is a step in the right direction; after weeks and months of holding a collective breath, a collective exhale can be breathed. Still, there is much more work to be done to ensure equity and inclusion of all marginalized people.

How can we keep moving forward?

We must consistently call out hate, racism and injustice whenever we see it. We must expose the plight of the individuals and groups who are on the receiving end of these acts and share their burden through empathy and compassion.

Our students understand this and recently organized several excellent, thought-provoking and timely programs to bring these issues to light – events for Black History month, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging and Social Justice Week, and the forum Standing Against Asian Hate.

There is momentum in the Mitchell College community to make a positive difference in society. We all play a part in creating a better tomorrow, working toward equity and diversity.

If not you, who?