Housatonic’s 50th Birthday Bash
If there was ever a more monumental way to kick off this semester, HCC has got it down in spades.
The school will be celebrating 50 years of education, excellence, and excitement by throwing a party right in our courtyard on Tuesday, September 19th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Open to both the HCC community and the public, this event will be a birthday celebration while noting all of the milestones the college has achieved in the past half century. The event will feature speakers, music, food, and activities for adults and children as well, such as face painting and balloon animals. Alumni, former faculty, and legislators have also been invited to attend, as well as local high schools.
Needless to say, freshman starting this semester couldn’t have picked a more historic time to join the HCC family. Director of Communications Cheryl Forbes feels the event taking place is a great way to show incoming students what the school is all about.
“It’s going to be exciting to see the interactions,” Forbes noted. “It’s a great way to begin to adapt to the HCC community.”
It seems like only yesterday that classes were under $100 and the school was located in a single building. Originally a branch of Norwalk Community College, the school struck out on its own in 1967. With several relocations from Stratford to Bridgeport, it’s safe to say the school has been proudly standing on its own two feet at 900 Lafayette Boulevard.
One of the most cherished and respected accomplishments of the school is its ever growing alumni. Most people look to community colleges as a simple means to knock out needed courses before simply transferring. However, there are many students that go the distance here, gaining the credits and knowledge they need to take that walk across the stage at graduation.
HCC alum Amanda Wright, now in her second year at UConn, attested to her love of the teachers here at Housatonic. “HCC was really great at picking faculty,” Wright said. “I love the teachers there and how helpful they were. HCC sees its students as future leaders and wants to help them get there.”
If nothing else, HCC students, new and old, will be able to walk away from the celebration knowing how much the faculty and staff cares about the student body and the community.
“I want them to see and understand how vibrant the community is, how committed the faculty and staff are to seeing everyone succeed,” Forbes said. “I want them to think, ‘Hey, I fit in here’.”