Fitchburg State Magazine Mailer 08/30/23

Our Digital Magazine

Dear alumni and friends,

I am delighted to invite you to explore Fitchburg State Magazine, our new digital storytelling platform where we will share the milestones of our Falcons from past and present, as well as showing you what’s new at our shared institution.

This printed piece will offer you a glimpse of the stories you can explore in full at fitchburgstate.edu/magazine our new digital site. The online presentation is designed to be reader-friendly and up to date, as well as environmentally sustainable, and may be enjoyed from a desktop computer, mobile phone or tablet. Individual stories will also be shareable to social media, and include links to let you learn more about topics that catch your interest.

The site also contains all the features we know our readers look forward to seeing in our traditional magazine, including class notes and in memoriam notices. On the site, you will find that these items may be read in a comprehensive list, or searched by individual class decade.

Read on to preview the stories you can find online, and let us know what you think. Thank you, and happy reading!

Sincerely,

Student Stories

Just Keep Moving

Christopher Shaddock ’23 is a survivor

Christopher Shaddock believes in the importance of forward motion and has learned not to let obstacles derail him. A self-described “late, late bloomer,” Shaddock has followed a winding path toward his degree.

He had worked jobs in radio and food service when he decided, at age 28, to enlist in the U.S. Army (he celebrated his 29th birthday in basic training).

“I always like a challenge,” he recalled. “I get bored.”

Shaddock spent eight years in active duty for the Army, including assignments in Kentucky and Germany before his reactivation following the terror attacks of 9/11 led to deployments to Iraq and Kuwait.

Following his discharge, Shaddock continued seeing the world. He lived for 11 years in Iceland, where his then-wife was from, and eventually moved back to the U.S.

A tinkerer since his youth, Shaddock began studying automotive technology and applied science at Mount Wachusett Community College, where he graduated in 2020. In the midst of his studies, he was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer.

He endured two surgeries, a year of hormone therapy, and 45 daily sessions of radiation treatment, all at the height of the COVID pandemic.

Richard S. Lapidus, President

“I could have stopped, but I knew I had to keep going,” he said. “I kept going despite wanting to give up, and a few times

I almost did.”

Academics

TRIO Student Support Services celebrates 25 years of fostering student success

One of the university’s signature student support programs celebrated a milestone this past academic year: its 25th anniversary. TRIO Student Support Services— formerly known as Expanding Horizons—has been helping students persist and graduate since 1997, serving more than 1,000 students over six grant cycles.

Dr. Beth Swartz, who was named director of TRIO SSS in 2020, said the program’s success is centered on its individualized attention. “We do not advise by the major, we advise by the student,” she said. “We get to know these students in a way their faculty advisors may not get to.”

Elizabeth Scott ’23 first checked out Fitchburg State when she learned about its police program from her school resource officer on Cape Cod. A tour guide mentioned the TRIO SSS program and Scott realized she may qualify. It was a great decision, she said.

Flying High but Staying Grounded

Paul G. Cormier ‘93 may not have realized it at the time, but his long and successful career in the software business began when he was still in high school.

The Leominster native’s father was facilities manager at Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC), and Paul got a job at the plant while he was a junior at Leominster High. “I was going to do maintenance,” he recalled. “One

“TRIO has made my college experience much more enjoyable,” Scott said. “My mom didn’t finish college so she and I didn’t really know what to expect, and with TRIO’s help we were able to navigate everything from moving in to filling out the FAFSA. TRIO has made campus a home away from home for me, and I truly don’t think I would have made it this far without them.”

Gianna Meninno ’24 arrived at Fitchburg State with dreams of becoming a nurse, but struggled to make the required grades for admission after the challenges of going to school during COVID. She was soon directed to TRIO. “TRIO has been amazing for me and has made my experience of college so much easier,” she said. “The advisors are what makes it the best. They do everything from helping you pick the right classes for you to getting you on track with your classwork. Plus they are always there to listen to you about any problems or concerns you have.”

day I met somebody on the floor who said, ‘You like math? You want to take a test?’ I took the test, and they said, ‘What about if instead of sweeping the floors, we train you in electrical engineering and computer technology?’”

He took them up on the offer and continued working at DEC after graduating. The company supported him through his studies in management at Fitchburg State. “I was a very non-traditional student,” Cormier recalled. “I worked part-time and went to school part-time.”

Cormier credits that hands-on component as critical to his career success. “I think getting some hands-on experience is the most important thing,” he said. “What college gives you is the theoretical foundation, and the practical application of that is so important. My advice to students is to look for internships as early as possible.”

SUMMER 2023