Alumni Donate to Experiential Learning Natural and Health Sciences

Giving Experience for Life

Regina Noonan Hitchery ’71, with her husband Joe at the President's Evening of Appreciation in October.

Elms College designates Experiential Learning as one of its five core strategies because it is key to empowering students for “life after Elms.” Elms knows that meaningful experiential learning - gained through internships, field placements, sports, campus activities, and volunteer work - builds skills and helps students discover their career preferences and passions. By expanding their experience base, Elms graduates can demonstrate their capabilities to prospective employers. Elms’ staff supporting the Experiential Learning Dolores Donlin Noonan ‘39 Program (ELP) engage with students to help them expand their experiences through both paid and unpaid positions. Students connect with mentors to explore their options, develop specific ELP plans, and gradually build their skills. In the 2021-22 academic year, an impressive 86% of traditional student seniors participated in an least one experiential learning activity during their Elms’ studies. Recently, Regina Noonan Hitchery, class of 1971, and her husband Joe Hitchery made a donation pledge in support of experiential learning and to honor Regina’s mother through the Dolores Donlin Noonan ’39 Fund. With financial stipends made possible through funds like this, students can apply to receive payment for unpaid internships they may otherwise need to forego.

As a retired human resources executive, Regina is acutely aware that “real-life” experiences complement academic learning and significantly enhance a person’s readiness for career roles. One of five children, she was fortunate to grow up in a family environment that encouraged the exploration of a variety of interests. Regina’s mother inspired her children through her own life path: working in the insurance industry after college, followed by motherhood and building her skills in volunteer leadership roles, later earning a Master’s in Library Science to become a middle school teacher-librarian. Regina and each of her siblings had early learning experiences that fueled their careers. Martha Noonan Murtaugh, ’68, MAT ’91, benefited from a National Science Foundation research grant and hospital lab internships for research biology roles and later as a middle school science teacher. Regina’s three brothers followed creative, entrepreneurial pursuits propelled by their hobbies, work experiences and passions: one earned recognition on the silver screen as a designer/builder of Hollywood movie sets, another founded Vermont’s first brew pub, and the youngest is the principal of a videography business. Through their gift, Regina said she and Joe “hope to give students the opportunity to have meaningful experiences that positively impact their futures.”

For the Love of Science and Scholarship

Lorraine Dube '57 and her husband Rene at the President's Evening of Appreciation in October.

For Lorraine Dube ‘57, her experiences at Elms produced a deep appreciation and abundant love of the college. She was a chemistry and biology double major who received a full scholarship for three years starting in her sophomore year. Today, she and her husband, Rene, are faithful contributors to Elms on an annual basis and their recent generous donation was truly exceptional. Their leadership gift supported two noteworthy aspects near and dear to Lorraine’s heart: her love of science and her gratitude for receiving the full scholarship. In recognition of her science background, Lorraine and Rene donated to the first floor lobby of the Lyons Center for Natural and Health Sciences in honor of the bond she had with her sister, Elizabeth McMahon Thomas ‘55. “Elizabeth was two years ahead of me and was a Chemistry major. In addition to being my big sister, she was my mentor,” said Lorraine. The second part of their generous gift was earmarked to support the Class of 1957 Memorial Endowed Scholarship. After her first year at Elms, one of Lorraine’s good friends who had received a full four-year scholarship, moved to New Jersey. Thanks to Lorraine’s strong grades in her first year, the college

approved her to receive the remaining three years of that scholarship. "I loved the Elms when I was there and loved it ever since.” Lorraine said, "By donating to this scholarship fund, I want current students to receive the same benefits from Elms that I had.” To say that Elms has played a major role in Lorraine’s family is an understatement. “The college has been a big part of my life and my parents loved Elms when Elizabeth and I were there. My late sister fell in love with Elms, Lorraine and Rene stand in front of the donor plaque in the Lyons Center. too, and her husband has donated to the Chemistry Suite Vestibule on the 3rd floor of the Lyons Center,” said Lorraine. When asked what her favorite aspect of Elms was, Lorraine was quick with her response. "The friendships that I developed with science faculty and classmates. While I was attending Elms, I became good friends with a lot of science professors and of course, all of my classmates." It’s fair to say that the bond between Lorraine and Elms College is as strong as ever and it’s remarkable how unbreakable it is after 65 years.