On June 17, the guests’ attire was as colorful as the riverfront sunset at the 2016 Goodwin College Foundation Clambake to support student scholarships. While this popular event, held on the Connecticut River Academy (CTRA) terrace, has grown steadily since 2014, attendance took a significant jump from 175 last year to 300 this year. Even more impressive was the $30,000 raised for scholarships, more than tripling last year’s $8,000.

Pre-event VIP cruises from the CTRA dock were offered aboard the R/V Navigator, Goodwin’s amazing research vessel used primarily by students obtaining their environmental studies degrees. Guests viewing the College from out on the Connecticut River came away with a special appreciation for the beautiful campus.

As revelers dressed in the recommended “clambake preppy” colors enjoyed pre-dinner cocktails, Goodwin’s own auctioneer, Dan Larson of the Facilities Department, conducted the live auction from the staircase landing. On the block were an all-inclusive trip to Mexico and two Giants Football Experience packages. Guests also bid on silent auction items including a foursome at the TPC, Cromwell; Red Sox tickets and dinner at Capital Grille; bangle bracelets from Christie’s Fine Jewelry; a foursome at the historic Yale Golf Course; scotch, bourbon, and cigars; and a foursome at Topstone Golf Course plus two AAA memberships.

Dinner was a traditional New England clambake by Flanders Fish Market & Restaurant and J Restaurant Bar, followed by dessert and dancing. And while everyone came away with memories of a great event, the much-needed support for student scholarships remains the reason for everyone coming together.

“First Niagara Bank has partnered with Goodwin College for almost 20 years,” said Peter Thomas, First Vice President of First Niagara Bank. “Over the years, we have especially liked helping the hard-working Goodwin students with the support of various scholarship programs. At the Clambake, it’s always great to catch up with so many of our friends and associates within the Goodwin community. In many ways, it has become for us an annual event that launches everyone’s summer. But what we enjoy most is knowing that because of the funds raised at the Clambake, there will be some more students who will be able to attend Goodwin and ultimately graduate. It’s a wonderful evening of celebration and an even more wonderful feeling knowing how much this helps the students.”

A few of this year’s summer scholarship recipients had submitted notes of thanks for the help they received this year. “I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for making my scholarship possible. In order for me to succeed with my studies, it took perseverance, ambition, passion, courage, heart, a lot of humor – and your generous scholarship. Thank you so much for helping me advance my future as a certified occupational therapy assistant!” “Thank your for the generous scholarship I received. Your time and dedication do not go unnoticed by my fellow students or myself. I cannot stress enough how much I truly appreciate the Foundation for selecting me to receive such a blessing. It has brought me closer to my goals.”

The Goodwin Advancement Department thanks the many guests and volunteers who made the event a success. Presenting Sponsors were First Niagara and Pratt & Whitney. Officer Level Sponsors were Adams + Knight, Evolution Aero, FIP, Congressman John B. Larson, Prime Materials Recovery Inc., and Zuvic Carr and Associates Consulting Engineers. Cadet Level Sponsors included The Aegis Group, Aetna, Aerodyne Alloys, LLC, Andrews Benefits, Frank & Ceil Collins, Don & Melody Currey, D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, Krislyn Donadio, ’15, Dr. Maria Ellis & Kimberly McDonald, Environmental Services, Inc., First Choice Health Centers, Dr. Ethan & Dr. Ellen Foxman, Lee Housley, ’15 & Alan Guite, iHeart Media, Independent Outdoor III, LLC, Craig & Christine Jordan, O’Connell Pace & Company, Se-Min & Michelle Sohn, Cliff & Cathryn Thermer, and Wiggin & Dana, LLP.

Special thanks for their hard work go out to event chairs Charlie Agreda, Foundation Board member; Ceil and Frank Collins, Foundation Board member; and Se-Min Sohn, Trustee.

To see scenes from the evening’s festivities, visit the Goodwin flickr page.

Learn more about supporting opportunities for Goodwin College students at Ways to Give.

The post Seafood & Scholarships: Third Annual Foundation Clambake Sets Records appeared first on Goodwin College.

On Tuesday, October 18, Goodwin College welcomes back to its campus inspirational speaker and best-selling author Marcus Engel, whose messages provide insight and strategies for excellence in healthcare. He has presented to tens of thousands of healthcare professionals and his books are used in nursing schools to teach the basic foundations of caregiving.

Two sessions of The Other End of the Stethoscope, open to the public and free of charge, are scheduled at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. in the Goodwin College auditorium, One Riverside Drive in East Hartford. For more information about the event, please contact Janice Watts, Nursing Department Chair, at 860-727-6919 or jwatts@goodwin.edu.

As a college freshman, Marcus Engel was blinded and nearly killed after being struck by a drunk driver. Through two years of rehab, more than 350 hours of reconstructive facial surgery and adaptation through a multitude of life changes, Engel witnessed the good, the bad and the profound in patient care. He has authored four books and is at work on a fifth, Narrative Nursing, designed to help lead nurses into using proven techniques and therapeutic resources for dealing with the effects of compassion fatigue and avoiding burnout. His previous books include After This…An Inspirational Journey For All The Wrong Reasons; The Other End of the Stethoscope: 33 Insights for Excellent Patient Care; I’m Here: Compassionate Communication in Patient Care; and Everyday Inspiration. In 2010, “The Drop” a short film based on Engels’ memoir was released and can be viewed for free at www.TheDropMovie.com.

Engel and his wife, Marvelyne, are the co-founders of the I’m Here Movement, a 501(c)3, which is changing the culture of care with two simple words. Engel holds a B.S. in sociology from Missouri State University and a M.S. in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University. He lives in Orlando with Marvelyne and his Seeing Eye dog, Garrett. Engel calls himself a social media junkie and loves to connect with healthcare professionals nationwide. All information on connecting can be discovered at www.MarcusEngel.com.

Members of the media are welcome to attend the event. Please note that recording of the presentation is not permitted. Mr. Engel has select times for press conversation, before and during his visit to Goodwin. Appointments may be coordinated with Taylor Lunin of the I’m Here Movement at 727-364-3030 or Rob Muirhead, Goodwin College Media Relations Coordinator, at rmuirhead@goodwin.edu. Download flyer.

The post Goodwin College Hosts The Other End of the Stethoscope with Marcus Engel, October 18 appeared first on Goodwin College.

On October 18, inspirational speaker and best-selling author Marcus Engel engaged a crowd of several hundred Goodwin College students, faculty, and staff, as well as guests from the greater community, in an ongoing effort to provide insights and strategies for excellent patient care. Engel shared his harrowing and amazing story with the audience — primarily students from the College’s nursing school — during two sessions in the auditorium.

As a college freshman returning home from a hockey game with friends, Engel was struck by a drunk driver in a traumatic car accident that left him hospitalized for months and permanently blind. Through years of rehab, more than 300 hours of reconstructive facial surgery, and adaptation through a multitude of life changes, Engel witnessed the good, the bad, and the profound in patient care.

This was a return engagement for Engel to Goodwin, where a unique relationship has developed over several years between him and the nursing and healthcare degree programs. Janice Watts, Nursing Department chair, referred to Engel in her introduction as “my friend and my hero.”

“There is no college or university in the country I love more than Goodwin,” Engel told the audience in his introduction. “Nowhere is faculty more engaged in seeing students succeed. You have such an incredible culture and community.”

Much of Engel’s discussion focused on those individual professionals who treated him as a whole human being, despite his traumatic injuries and difficulty communicating after the accident. In the first hours of his hospitalization, when he barely knew where he was or what had happened, one caregiver, Jennifer, continued to hold his hand and offered him the most important comfort possible: “I’m here” — words that would come to be a critical part of Engel’s recovery and a rallying cry for caregivers. More information can be found at the website imheremovement.org.

“Simple human presence,” he explained, “is the cornerstone of caregiving.”

One audience member asked Engel if he still dwells on the driver who changed his world so completely. He explained that hate and blame only perpetuate pain for people and that he has moved ahead with his life and he concentrates on “putting as much love into the world as possible.”

Engel’s keynote presentations have been witnessed by tens of thousands of healthcare professionals and his books are used in scores of nursing education to teach the basic foundations of caregiving. Engel has authored four books and is at work on a fifth, Narrative Nursing, designed to help lead nurses into using proven techniques and therapeutic resources for dealing with the effects of compassion fatigue and avoiding burnout. His previous books include After This…An Inspirational Journey For All The Wrong Reasons; The Other End of the Stethoscope: 33 Insights for Excellent Patient Care; I’m Here: Compassionate Communication in Patient Care; and Everyday Inspiration. Both The Other End of the Stethoscope and I’m Here are available for purchase in the Goodwin College bookstore. Information about Engel can be found at www.MarcusEngel.com.

For information on becoming a caregiver in Connecticut, please visit goodwin.edu/caregivers.

The post Best-Selling Author Encourages Audience to “Put as Much Love as Possible Into the World” appeared first on Goodwin College.

The American Red Cross has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations due to an unprecedented blood shortage. About 300 blood drives across 27 states have been forced to cancel due to winter weather, further depleting an already low winter supply. To help meet the need, Goodwin will host a local blood drive on Thursday, February 9, 8:15 a.m. to 6:15 p.m., in the Community Room. Goodwin’s target goal is 48 units.

To make an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or go to redcrossblood.org, sponsor code: Goodwin. Donors can also save time by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started, visit www.redcrossblood.org/RapidPass.

As a thank you, donors at the 2/9 blood drive will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card claim code! All codes will be emailed to donors approximately 14 days after their donation. Donors MUST have a valid email address in order to receive their reward. No physical gift cards will be mailed.

The post Goodwin Hosts Critical Blood Drive — February 9 appeared first on Goodwin College.

On Saturday, June 3, Goodwin College will hold its 18th Commencement on the grounds of the main campus at One Riverside Drive in East Hartford. As of April 10, more than 269 graduates are expected to walk in the annual ceremony that celebrates their earning certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees in a number of degree programs. That number is expected to rise significantly closer to the date of the event.

Commencement begins at 10 a.m. and will include remarks from Goodwin president Mark Scheinberg, board of trustees chair Dr. Maria Ellis, the 2017 valedictorian, and a student speaker selected by the College community.

This year’s honorary degree recipient is world-renowned author and journalist Gail Sheehy, who has changed the way millions of people worldwide look at the stages of their lives. In her 50 years as a writer, she has interviewed thousands of women and men and written 17 books. Her earliest revolutionary book, Passages, was named by a Library of Congress survey one of the ten most influential books of our times. Passages remained on The New York Times Bestseller List for more than three years and has been reprinted in 28 languages. In five other books on the passages theme, she revisits the stages of adult life: Understanding Men’s Passages, The Silent Passage; Sex and the Seasoned Woman, and Passages in Caregiving.

As a literary journalist, Sheehy was one of the original contributors to New York magazine and has been a contributing editor to Vanity Fair since 1984. She has covered national and world leaders and broken many cultural taboos. She culminated a decade of following Hillary Clinton for Vanity Fair with the biography, Hillary’s Choice, exploring the personal ambitions and vulnerabilities that drive the world’s most public woman. She has written about the character and psychology of national leaders including both Presidents Bush, Robert Kennedy, Barack Obama, Anwar Sadat, and Margaret Thatcher. She is a seven-time recipient of the New York Newswomen’s Club Front Page Award for distinguished journalism and three-time winner or finalist for National Magazine Awards.  In 2013, she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Books for a Better Life.

Passing 70, Sheehy decided it was time she turned the lens on herself and wrote a memoir about her own passages. The book is DARING: My Passages, published William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins. It inspires young women to dream big, take risks, outlive early failures, and build toward success with meaning and social purpose by midlife.

Members of the media are invited to attend the Goodwin Commencement and are encouraged to contact Rob Muirhead, Media Relations Coordinator, at 860-913-2033 or rmuirhead@goodwin.edu. Early arrival is suggested; parking is expected to be at full capacity. In addition to the lots at One Riverside Drive, additional parking is available at the Connecticut River Academy (9 Riverside Drive), the Riverside Magnet School (29 Willowbrook Road), and the Goodwin College Business and Manufacturing Center (1 Pent Road). Shuttle service will be available. Handicapped parking will be available at One Riverside Drive and between 167 and 195 Riverside Drive; staff will be on hand to direct guests.

The post “Passages” author Gail Sheehy Announced as Commencement Speaker, June 3 appeared first on Goodwin College.

Update: On Saturday, June 3, Goodwin College will hold its 18th Commencement on the grounds of the main campus at One Riverside Drive in East Hartford. As of May 16, more than 430 graduates are expected to walk in the annual ceremony that celebrates their earning certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees in a number of degree programs.. That is the largest number of graduates to process in a Goodwin Commencement, with the total expected to increase by the date of the event, according to the College registrar.

Commencement begins at 10 a.m. and will include remarks from Goodwin president Mark Scheinberg, board of trustees chair Dr. Maria Ellis, the 2017 valedictorian, and a student speaker selected by the College community.

This year’s honorary degree recipients include is world-renowned author and journalist Gail Sheehy, and United States District Judge for Connecticut, Alvin W. Thompson.

In her 50 years as a writer, Sheehy has interviewed thousands of women and men and written 17 books. Her earliest revolutionary book, Passages, was named by a Library of Congress survey one of the ten most influential books of our times. Passages remained on The New York Times Bestseller List for more than three years and has been reprinted in 28 languages. In five other books on the passages theme, she revisits the stages of adult life: Understanding Men’s Passages, The Silent Passage; Sex and the Seasoned Women, and Passages in Caregiving.

As a literary journalist, Sheehy was one of the original contributors to New York magazine and has been a contributing editor to Vanity Fair since 1984. She has covered national and world leaders and broken many cultural taboos. She culminated a decade of following Hillary Clinton for Vanity Fair with the biography, Hillary’s Choice, exploring the personal ambitions and vulnerabilities that drive the world’s most public woman. She has written about the character and psychology of national leaders including both Presidents Bush, Robert Kennedy, Barack Obama, Anwar Sadat, and Margaret Thatcher. She is a seven-time recipient of the New York Newswomen’s Club Front Page Award for distinguished journalism and three-time winner or finalist for National Magazine Awards.  In 2013, she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Books for a Better Life.

Judge Thompson is a United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut. He was appointed by President Clinton in October of 1994 and served as Chief Judge from 2009 to 2013.

He earned his B.A. degree from Princeton University in 1975 and his J.D. degree from Yale Law School in 1978. Upon completing his legal education, he was engaged in private practice with Robinson & Cole in Hartford, where he was elected Managing Partner in 1991 and remained until he was appointed to the Bench.

Judge Thompson is very active in the American Bar Association. His involvement has included serving as Chair of the Section of Business Law and serving on the Scholarship Committee for the ABA Legal Opportunities Scholarship Fund. In his local community, he has been very actively involved for many years in The First Church of Christ in Hartford and numerous other civic and professional organizations, including the Salvation Army.

Members of the media are invited to attend the Goodwin Commencement and are encouraged to contact Rob Muirhead, Media Relations Coordinator, at 860-913-2033 or rmuirhead@goodwin.edu. Early arrival is suggested; parking is expected to be at full capacity. In addition to the lots at One Riverside Drive, additional parking is available at the Connecticut River Academy (9 Riverside Drive), the Riverside Magnet School (29 Willowbrook Road), and the Goodwin College Business and Manufacturing Center (1 Pent Road). Shuttle service will be available. Handicapped parking will be available at One Riverside Drive and between 167 and 195 Riverside Drive; staff will be on hand to direct guests.

The post Dias Complete for Goodwin Commencement, June 3 appeared first on Goodwin College.

On Wednesday, May 24, Goodwin College’s Career Services team hosted its Spring Career Fair at 195 Riverside Drive on the main campus in East Hartford. With more than 140 Goodwin students and graduates participating, the annual event continues on track to become one of the most strategically critical to student success.

Representatives from 35 companies and organizations met with Goodwin students to discuss their career goals and future job opportunities. A variety of industries were represented at the Career Fair including manufacturing, human services, healthcare, education, business, private and public safety, environmental, and more.

“The Goodwin College Alumni Association was also in attendance and provided a launching pad for alumni to stay involved with the Goodwin community upon graduation.” notes Stephanie Hertz, Career Specialist/Placement at Goodwin.

In preparation for the event, students and graduates met with the Career Services team to practice their job networking skills, perfect their resumes, and review information that would help them stand out to potential employers. Career Services also hosted a number of workshops and “Lunch & Learn” sessions throughout the spring that prepared students and graduates for success at the Career Fair.

As a career-focused school, Goodwin College is committed to providing frequent opportunities for students to network and establish professional relationships related to their chosen fields. Career Fairs enable Goodwin students to meet with potential employers and put their networking skills to the test. One of the hallmarks of the services provided by Goodwin is that alumni may return to the College for additional support throughout their professional lives or as they transition to future employment opportunities.

“The Career Services team is very proud that the employers acknowledged that our students and graduates were well prepared and professionally engaged,” said Patricia Shaw, Goodwin’s Career Services Director. “A number of our students walked away with useful contacts and opportunities.”

To learn more about Career Services at Goodwin College, go to http://www.goodwin.edu/career-services/.

The post Annual Spring Career Fair Supports Goodwin’s Mission to Prepare Sought-After Employees appeared first on Goodwin College.

On October 6, 2017, Goodwin College in East Hartford will host Roots at 40, a day-long academic conference commemorating the 40th anniversary of the landmark 1977 miniseries based on the book by Alex Haley. Keynote speaker for the conference is Colson Whitehead, author of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning The Underground Railroad. Whitehead’s other works include The Noble Hustle, Zone One, Sag Harbor, The Intuitionist, John Henry Days, Apex Hides the Hurt, and a collection of essays, The Colossus of New York. His reviews, essays, and fiction have appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, Harper’s, and Granta.

The inspiration for the October conference is Goodwin College’s collection of Alex Haley’s research papers for Roots. The College has invited experts from throughout the country to submit proposals for related presentations. As of this writing, the list includes:

Reconsidering Roots: Race, Politics, and Memory, Erica L. Ball (Occidental College) and Kellie Carter Jackson (Wellesley College); Haley and The Gambia: Tensions Between Kunta Kinte’s Story and Gambia’s Atlantic Past, Liza Gijanto (St. Mary’s College of Maryland); An American Horror Story: Apocrypha Noir as the Apocalypse to the American Fairy Tale; or Black Film as Pedagogical Imperative, Kelisha Graves (Fayetteville State University); Carly Houston Overfelt, Kunta Kinte’s Linguistic Legacy; Good Slaveholders and Questionable Allies: The Moral Ambiguity of the White Characters in “Roots,” Laurie F. Leach (Hawai’i Pacific University); and “Needed More Than Ever”: Re-watching Roots in the Context of Black Lives Matter, Allison Page (Old Dominion University), and Making Roots: A Nation Captivated, Matthew Delmont, (Arizona State University).

Reservations for attendance may be made at www.goodwin.edu/roots – special rates for students and groups. Questions on the Roots at 40 conference at Goodwin College may be addressed to Susan Hansen at shansen@goodwin.edu or 860-727-6782.

Roots at 40 is funded, in part, by Connecticut Humanities, a nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, supporting cultural and historic organizations that tell the state’s stories, build community, and enrich lives.

The post Presenters Join Pulitzer Prize Winner at Roots at 40 Conference appeared first on Goodwin College.

Goodwin to Host CT Invention Convention Amazon Echo Hackathon
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Goodwin College Business and Manufacturing Center
One Pent Road
East Hartford, CT 06118
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
$10 event fee includes light lunch and dinner

What’s Amazon Echo?

Amazon Echo is a voice-enabled, wireless speaker capable of voice interaction, music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, and providing weather, traffic, and other real time information. The Echo has an incredible future and you can be part of it!

What’s this event all about?

You will learn how to program and use this device to get information — and control the world! This new technology will have a major global impact and you can help make it happen. Engineers from Amazon will teach you what you need to know, and you will be creating apps for the Echo in no time. Bring a Window or Mac laptop; some loaners will be available. Amazon will award lots of prizes to participants — anyone who attends can submit 3 apps within 30 days of the event and get a free Amazon Tap worth $130!

Who can participate?

Anyone over 12 years old who enjoys cutting-edge technology — and having fun — is welcome, regardless of skill level or experience. Come as an individual, part of a team, or make friends while you’re here. Goodwin students and employees can receive a 25% discount by entering promo code “Goodwin” when registering online.

What will I learn?

Engineers from Amazon will teach you what you need to know, and you will be creating apps for the Echo in no time. Bring a Window or Mac laptop; some loaners will be available. Amazon will award lots of prizes to participants — anyone who attends can submit three apps within 30 days of the event and get a free Amazon Tap worth $130!

Sounds great! How do I sign up?

For more registration and information: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hackster-amazon-present-alexa-skill-building-101-tickets-25747944796. Additional information: Jake Mendelssohn, CIC Outreach Director, at jake@ctinventionconvention.org. CIC website: www.ctinventionconvention.org.

The post Goodwin to Host CT Invention Convention Amazon Echo Hackathon appeared first on Goodwin College.

On June 17, the guests’ attire was as colorful as the riverfront sunset at the 2016 Goodwin College Foundation Clambake to support student scholarships. While this popular event, held on the Connecticut River Academy (CTRA) terrace, has grown steadily since 2014, attendance took a significant jump from 175 last year to 300 this year. Even more impressive was the $30,000 raised for scholarships, more than tripling last year’s $8,000.

Pre-event VIP cruises from the CTRA dock were offered aboard the R/V Navigator, Goodwin’s amazing research vessel used primarily by students obtaining their environmental studies degrees. Guests viewing the College from out on the Connecticut River came away with a special appreciation for the beautiful campus.

As revelers dressed in the recommended “clambake preppy” colors enjoyed pre-dinner cocktails, Goodwin’s own auctioneer, Dan Larson of the Facilities Department, conducted the live auction from the staircase landing. On the block were an all-inclusive trip to Mexico and two Giants Football Experience packages. Guests also bid on silent auction items including a foursome at the TPC, Cromwell; Red Sox tickets and dinner at Capital Grille; bangle bracelets from Christie’s Fine Jewelry; a foursome at the historic Yale Golf Course; scotch, bourbon, and cigars; and a foursome at Topstone Golf Course plus two AAA memberships.

Dinner was a traditional New England clambake by Flanders Fish Market & Restaurant and J Restaurant Bar, followed by dessert and dancing. And while everyone came away with memories of a great event, the much-needed support for student scholarships remains the reason for everyone coming together.

“First Niagara Bank has partnered with Goodwin College for almost 20 years,” said Peter Thomas, First Vice President of First Niagara Bank. “Over the years, we have especially liked helping the hard-working Goodwin students with the support of various scholarship programs. At the Clambake, it’s always great to catch up with so many of our friends and associates within the Goodwin community. In many ways, it has become for us an annual event that launches everyone’s summer. But what we enjoy most is knowing that because of the funds raised at the Clambake, there will be some more students who will be able to attend Goodwin and ultimately graduate. It’s a wonderful evening of celebration and an even more wonderful feeling knowing how much this helps the students.”

A few of this year’s summer scholarship recipients had submitted notes of thanks for the help they received this year. “I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for making my scholarship possible. In order for me to succeed with my studies, it took perseverance, ambition, passion, courage, heart, a lot of humor – and your generous scholarship. Thank you so much for helping me advance my future as a certified occupational therapy assistant!” “Thank your for the generous scholarship I received. Your time and dedication do not go unnoticed by my fellow students or myself. I cannot stress enough how much I truly appreciate the Foundation for selecting me to receive such a blessing. It has brought me closer to my goals.”

The Goodwin Advancement Department thanks the many guests and volunteers who made the event a success. Presenting Sponsors were First Niagara and Pratt & Whitney. Officer Level Sponsors were Adams + Knight, Evolution Aero, FIP, Congressman John B. Larson, Prime Materials Recovery Inc., and Zuvic Carr and Associates Consulting Engineers. Cadet Level Sponsors included The Aegis Group, Aetna, Aerodyne Alloys, LLC, Andrews Benefits, Frank & Ceil Collins, Don & Melody Currey, D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, Krislyn Donadio, ’15, Dr. Maria Ellis & Kimberly McDonald, Environmental Services, Inc., First Choice Health Centers, Dr. Ethan & Dr. Ellen Foxman, Lee Housley, ’15 & Alan Guite, iHeart Media, Independent Outdoor III, LLC, Craig & Christine Jordan, O’Connell Pace & Company, Se-Min & Michelle Sohn, Cliff & Cathryn Thermer, and Wiggin & Dana, LLP.

Special thanks for their hard work go out to event chairs Charlie Agreda, Foundation Board member; Ceil and Frank Collins, Foundation Board member; and Se-Min Sohn, Trustee.

To see scenes from the evening’s festivities, visit the Goodwin flickr page.

Learn more about supporting opportunities for Goodwin College students at Ways to Give.

The post Seafood & Scholarships: Third Annual Foundation Clambake Sets Records appeared first on Goodwin College.

On Tuesday, October 18, Goodwin College welcomes back to its campus inspirational speaker and best-selling author Marcus Engel, whose messages provide insight and strategies for excellence in healthcare. He has presented to tens of thousands of healthcare professionals and his books are used in nursing schools to teach the basic foundations of caregiving.

Two sessions of The Other End of the Stethoscope, open to the public and free of charge, are scheduled at 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. in the Goodwin College auditorium, One Riverside Drive in East Hartford. For more information about the event, please contact Janice Watts, Nursing Department Chair, at 860-727-6919 or jwatts@goodwin.edu.

As a college freshman, Marcus Engel was blinded and nearly killed after being struck by a drunk driver. Through two years of rehab, more than 350 hours of reconstructive facial surgery and adaptation through a multitude of life changes, Engel witnessed the good, the bad and the profound in patient care. He has authored four books and is at work on a fifth, Narrative Nursing, designed to help lead nurses into using proven techniques and therapeutic resources for dealing with the effects of compassion fatigue and avoiding burnout. His previous books include After This…An Inspirational Journey For All The Wrong Reasons; The Other End of the Stethoscope: 33 Insights for Excellent Patient Care; I’m Here: Compassionate Communication in Patient Care; and Everyday Inspiration. In 2010, “The Drop” a short film based on Engels’ memoir was released and can be viewed for free at www.TheDropMovie.com.

Engel and his wife, Marvelyne, are the co-founders of the I’m Here Movement, a 501(c)3, which is changing the culture of care with two simple words. Engel holds a B.S. in sociology from Missouri State University and a M.S. in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University. He lives in Orlando with Marvelyne and his Seeing Eye dog, Garrett. Engel calls himself a social media junkie and loves to connect with healthcare professionals nationwide. All information on connecting can be discovered at www.MarcusEngel.com.

Members of the media are welcome to attend the event. Please note that recording of the presentation is not permitted. Mr. Engel has select times for press conversation, before and during his visit to Goodwin. Appointments may be coordinated with Taylor Lunin of the I’m Here Movement at 727-364-3030 or Rob Muirhead, Goodwin College Media Relations Coordinator, at rmuirhead@goodwin.edu. Download Flyer.

The post Goodwin College Hosts The Other End of the Stethoscope with Marcus Engel, October 18 appeared first on Goodwin College.

On October 18, inspirational speaker and best-selling author Marcus Engel engaged a crowd of several hundred Goodwin College students, faculty, and staff, as well as guests from the greater community, in an ongoing effort to provide insights and strategies for excellent patient care. Engel shared his harrowing and amazing story with the audience — primarily students from the College’s nursing school — during two sessions in the auditorium.

As a college freshman returning home from a hockey game with friends, Engel was struck by a drunk driver in a traumatic car accident that left him hospitalized for months and permanently blind. Through years of rehab, more than 300 hours of reconstructive facial surgery, and adaptation through a multitude of life changes, Engel witnessed the good, the bad, and the profound in patient care.

This was a return engagement for Engel to Goodwin, where a unique relationship has developed over several years between him and the nursing and healthcare degree programs. Janice Watts, Nursing Department chair, referred to Engel in her introduction as “my friend and my hero.”

“There is no college or university in the country I love more than Goodwin,” Engel told the audience in his introduction. “Nowhere is faculty more engaged in seeing students succeed. You have such an incredible culture and community.”

Much of Engel’s discussion focused on those individual professionals who treated him as a whole human being, despite his traumatic injuries and difficulty communicating after the accident. In the first hours of his hospitalization, when he barely knew where he was or what had happened, one caregiver, Jennifer, continued to hold his hand and offered him the most important comfort possible: “I’m here” — words that would come to be a critical part of Engel’s recovery and a rallying cry for caregivers. More information can be found at the website imheremovement.org.

“Simple human presence,” he explained, “is the cornerstone of caregiving.”

One audience member asked Engel if he still dwells on the driver who changed his world so completely. He explained that hate and blame only perpetuate pain for people and that he has moved ahead with his life and he concentrates on “putting as much love into the world as possible.”

Engel’s keynote presentations have been witnessed by tens of thousands of healthcare professionals and his books are used in scores of nursing education courses to teach the basic foundations of caregiving. Engel has authored four books and is at work on a fifth, Narrative Nursing, designed to help lead nurses into using proven techniques and therapeutic resources for dealing with the effects of compassion fatigue and avoiding burnout. His previous books include After This…An Inspirational Journey For All The Wrong Reasons; The Other End of the Stethoscope: 33 Insights for Excellent Patient Care; I’m Here: Compassionate Communication in Patient Care; and Everyday Inspiration. Both The Other End of the Stethoscope and I’m Here are available for purchase in the Goodwin College bookstore. Information about Engel can be found at www.MarcusEngel.com.

For information on becoming a caregiver in Connecticut, please visit goodwin.edu/caregivers.

The post Best-Selling Author Encourages Audience to “Put as Much Love as Possible Into the World” appeared first on Goodwin College.

The American Red Cross has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations due to an unprecedented blood shortage. About 300 blood drives across 27 states have been forced to cancel due to winter weather, further depleting an already low winter supply. To help meet the need, Goodwin will host a local blood drive on Thursday, February 9, 8:15 a.m. to 6:15 p.m., in the Community Room. Goodwin’s target goal is 48 units.

To make an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or go to redcrossblood.org, sponsor code: Goodwin. Donors can also save time by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started, visit www.redcrossblood.org/RapidPass.

As a thank you, donors at the 2/9 blood drive will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card claim code! All codes will be emailed to donors approximately 14 days after their donation. Donors MUST have a valid email address in order to receive their reward. No physical gift cards will be mailed.

The post Goodwin Hosts Critical Blood Drive — February 9 appeared first on Goodwin College.

On Saturday, June 3, Goodwin College will hold its 18th Commencement on the grounds of the main campus at One Riverside Drive in East Hartford. As of April 10, more than 269 graduates are expected to walk in the annual ceremony that celebrates their earning certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees in a number of degree programs. That number is expected to rise significantly closer to the date of the event.

Commencement begins at 10 a.m. and will include remarks from Goodwin president Mark Scheinberg, board of trustees chair Dr. Maria Ellis, the 2017 valedictorian, and a student speaker selected by the College community.

This year’s honorary degree recipient is world-renowned author and journalist Gail Sheehy, who has changed the way millions of people worldwide look at the stages of their lives. In her 50 years as a writer, she has interviewed thousands of women and men and written 17 books. Her earliest revolutionary book, Passages, was named by a Library of Congress survey one of the ten most influential books of our times. Passages remained on The New York Times Bestseller List for more than three years and has been reprinted in 28 languages. In five other books on the passages theme, she revisits the stages of adult life: Understanding Men’s Passages, The Silent Passage; Sex and the Seasoned Woman, and Passages in Caregiving.

As a literary journalist, Sheehy was one of the original contributors to New York magazine and has been a contributing editor to Vanity Fair since 1984. She has covered national and world leaders and broken many cultural taboos. She culminated a decade of following Hillary Clinton for Vanity Fair with the biography, Hillary’s Choice, exploring the personal ambitions and vulnerabilities that drive the world’s most public woman. She has written about the character and psychology of national leaders including both Presidents Bush, Robert Kennedy, Barack Obama, Anwar Sadat, and Margaret Thatcher. She is a seven-time recipient of the New York Newswomen’s Club Front Page Award for distinguished journalism and three-time winner or finalist for National Magazine Awards.  In 2013, she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Books for a Better Life.

Passing 70, Sheehy decided it was time she turned the lens on herself and wrote a memoir about her own passages. The book is DARING: My Passages, published William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins. It inspires young women to dream big, take risks, outlive early failures, and build toward success with meaning and social purpose by midlife.

Members of the media are invited to attend the Goodwin Commencement and are encouraged to contact Rob Muirhead, Media Relations Coordinator, at 860-913-2033 or rmuirhead@goodwin.edu. Early arrival is suggested; parking is expected to be at full capacity. In addition to the lots at One Riverside Drive, additional parking is available at the Connecticut River Academy (9 Riverside Drive), the Riverside Magnet School (29 Willowbrook Road), and the Goodwin College Business and Manufacturing Center (1 Pent Road). Shuttle service will be available. Handicapped parking will be available at One Riverside Drive and between 167 and 195 Riverside Drive; staff will be on hand to direct guests.

The post “Passages” author Gail Sheehy Announced as Commencement Speaker, June 3 appeared first on Goodwin College.

Update: On Saturday, June 3, Goodwin College will hold its 18th Commencement on the grounds of the main campus at One Riverside Drive in East Hartford. As of May 16, more than 430 graduates are expected to walk in the annual ceremony that celebrates their earning certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees in a number of degree programs.. That is the largest number of graduates to process in a Goodwin Commencement, with the total expected to increase by the date of the event, according to the College registrar.

Commencement begins at 10 a.m. and will include remarks from Goodwin president Mark Scheinberg, board of trustees chair Dr. Maria Ellis, the 2017 valedictorian, and a student speaker selected by the College community.

This year’s honorary degree recipients include is world-renowned author and journalist Gail Sheehy, and United States District Judge for Connecticut, Alvin W. Thompson.

In her 50 years as a writer, Sheehy has interviewed thousands of women and men and written 17 books. Her earliest revolutionary book, Passages, was named by a Library of Congress survey one of the ten most influential books of our times. Passages remained on The New York Times Bestseller List for more than three years and has been reprinted in 28 languages. In five other books on the passages theme, she revisits the stages of adult life: Understanding Men’s Passages, The Silent Passage; Sex and the Seasoned Women, and Passages in Caregiving.

As a literary journalist, Sheehy was one of the original contributors to New York magazine and has been a contributing editor to Vanity Fair since 1984. She has covered national and world leaders and broken many cultural taboos. She culminated a decade of following Hillary Clinton for Vanity Fair with the biography, Hillary’s Choice, exploring the personal ambitions and vulnerabilities that drive the world’s most public woman. She has written about the character and psychology of national leaders including both Presidents Bush, Robert Kennedy, Barack Obama, Anwar Sadat, and Margaret Thatcher. She is a seven-time recipient of the New York Newswomen’s Club Front Page Award for distinguished journalism and three-time winner or finalist for National Magazine Awards.  In 2013, she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Books for a Better Life.

Judge Thompson is a United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut. He was appointed by President Clinton in October of 1994 and served as Chief Judge from 2009 to 2013.

He earned his B.A. degree from Princeton University in 1975 and his J.D. degree from Yale Law School in 1978. Upon completing his legal education, he was engaged in private practice with Robinson & Cole in Hartford, where he was elected Managing Partner in 1991 and remained until he was appointed to the Bench.

Judge Thompson is very active in the American Bar Association. His involvement has included serving as Chair of the Section of Business Law and serving on the Scholarship Committee for the ABA Legal Opportunities Scholarship Fund. In his local community, he has been very actively involved for many years in The First Church of Christ in Hartford and numerous other civic and professional organizations, including the Salvation Army.

Members of the media are invited to attend the Goodwin Commencement and are encouraged to contact Rob Muirhead, Media Relations Coordinator, at 860-913-2033 or rmuirhead@goodwin.edu. Early arrival is suggested; parking is expected to be at full capacity. In addition to the lots at One Riverside Drive, additional parking is available at the Connecticut River Academy (9 Riverside Drive), the Riverside Magnet School (29 Willowbrook Road), and the Goodwin College Business and Manufacturing Center (1 Pent Road). Shuttle service will be available. Handicapped parking will be available at One Riverside Drive and between 167 and 195 Riverside Drive; staff will be on hand to direct guests.

The post Dias Complete for Goodwin Commencement, June 3 appeared first on Goodwin College.

On Wednesday, May 24, Goodwin College’s Career Services team hosted its Spring Career Fair at 195 Riverside Drive on the main campus in East Hartford. With more than 140 Goodwin students and graduates participating, the annual event continues on track to become one of the most strategically critical to student success.

Representatives from 35 companies and organizations met with Goodwin students to discuss their career goals and future job opportunities. A variety of industries were represented at the Career Fair including manufacturing, human services, healthcare, education, business, private and public safety, environmental, and more.

“The Goodwin College Alumni Association was also in attendance and provided a launching pad for alumni to stay involved with the Goodwin community upon graduation.” notes Stephanie Hertz, Career Specialist/Placement at Goodwin.

In preparation for the event, students and graduates met with the Career Services team to practice their job networking skills, perfect their resumes, and review information that would help them stand out to potential employers. Career Services also hosted a number of workshops and “Lunch & Learn” sessions throughout the spring that prepared students and graduates for success at the Career Fair.

As a career-focused school, Goodwin College is committed to providing frequent opportunities for students to network and establish professional relationships related to their chosen fields. Career Fairs enable Goodwin students to meet with potential employers and put their networking skills to the test. One of the hallmarks of the services provided by Goodwin is that alumni may return to the College for additional support throughout their professional lives or as they transition to future employment opportunities.

“The Career Services team is very proud that the employers acknowledged that our students and graduates were well prepared and professionally engaged,” said Patricia Shaw, Goodwin’s Career Services Director. “A number of our students walked away with useful contacts and opportunities.”

To learn more about Career Services at Goodwin College, go to https://www.goodwin.edu/career-services/.

The post Annual Spring Career Fair Supports Goodwin’s Mission to Prepare Sought-After Employees appeared first on Goodwin College.

On October 6, 2017, Goodwin College in East Hartford will host Roots at 40, a day-long academic conference commemorating the 40th anniversary of the landmark 1977 miniseries based on the book by Alex Haley. Keynote speaker for the conference is Colson Whitehead, author of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning The Underground Railroad. Whitehead’s other works include The Noble Hustle, Zone One, Sag Harbor, The Intuitionist, John Henry Days, Apex Hides the Hurt, and a collection of essays, The Colossus of New York. His reviews, essays, and fiction have appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, Harper’s, and Granta.

The inspiration for the October conference is Goodwin College’s collection of Alex Haley’s research papers for Roots. The College has invited experts from throughout the country to submit proposals for related presentations. As of this writing, the list includes:

Reconsidering Roots: Race, Politics, and Memory, Erica L. Ball (Occidental College) and Kellie Carter Jackson (Wellesley College); Haley and The Gambia: Tensions Between Kunta Kinte’s Story and Gambia’s Atlantic Past, Liza Gijanto (St. Mary’s College of Maryland); An American Horror Story: Apocrypha Noir as the Apocalypse to the American Fairy Tale; or Black Film as Pedagogical Imperative, Kelisha Graves (Fayetteville State University); Carly Houston Overfelt, Kunta Kinte’s Linguistic Legacy; Good Slaveholders and Questionable Allies: The Moral Ambiguity of the White Characters in “Roots,” Laurie F. Leach (Hawai’i Pacific University); and “Needed More Than Ever”: Re-watching Roots in the Context of Black Lives Matter, Allison Page (Old Dominion University), and Making Roots: A Nation Captivated, Matthew Delmont, (Arizona State University).

Reservations for attendance may be made at www.goodwin.edu/roots – special rates for students and groups. Questions on the Roots at 40 conference at Goodwin College may be addressed to Susan Hansen at shansen@goodwin.edu or 860-727-6782.

Roots at 40 is funded, in part, by Connecticut Humanities, a nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, supporting cultural and historic organizations that tell the state’s stories, build community, and enrich lives.

The post Presenters Join Pulitzer Prize Winner at Roots at 40 Conference appeared first on Goodwin College.

The 12th Annual Goodwin College Golf Tournament took place on September 13 at Topstone Golf Course in South Windsor, Connecticut. The Goodwin community looks forward to this event every year for sponsors and scholarship recipients to meet on the links. This year, $81,000 was raised for the Goodwin College Foundation to benefit Goodwin students — an increase of more than $10,000 from last year.

Thanks to the generosity of sponsors and golfers, the money raised during the tournament will provide scholarships for hard-working Goodwin College students. Several of the recipients spoke at the event including Loretta Gagne, a student in Goodwin’s Public Health Administration program.

Gagne balances her college studies with a career as a pediatric LPN, marriage, and caring for her son. “I am very honored to receive this gift,” she said. “Without the help of this scholarship, I would not be able to continue my educational goals.”

Two other golf scholarship recipients, Katelyn David and Dareem Maynard, also spoke at the event and expressed their gratitude for the support they receive from this tournament.

“These students have overcome obstacles and continue to excel at their studies,” Brooke Penders, Vice President of Advancement, said. “This tournament gives them the additional resources they need to finish strong and fulfill their dreams of making a better life for themselves and their families.”

Thank you to all the sponsors, golfers, and volunteers who continue to make this event possible, especially our presenting sponsor, FIP Construction.

For more information about the Goodwin College Foundation, please call 860.291.9934 or visit www.goodwin.edu/giving.

The post Scholars Meet Donors at 12th Annual Golf Tournament appeared first on Goodwin College.

Three times annually, the day before each semester begins, all Goodwin College employees — faculty and staff — gather in the River Campus auditorium for Community Day, a morning of announcements, school news, longevity recognitions, and often a guest speaker or two. Traditionally, the morning wraps up with an update from the Goodwin Advancement team on efforts to raise critically needed support for student scholarships. At this year’s January 8 Community Day, the team shared an abundance of good news to start off the New Year.

First came the results of Goodwin’s Employee Giving Campaign for 2017. Vice President for Advancement Brooke Penders reported that campaign dollars raised were up 9% over the previous year, making it the College’s most successful campaign to date.

Critical to that success were donations totaling $20,000 to the Mary Henderson Scholarship Fund, named in honor of the beloved longtime Welcome Center director who passed away in in 2017. On hand for Community Day were 10 of the 20 student recipients.  All recipients will receive a $1,000 scholarship for the spring semester.

Next followed news on the Finish Line Funds initiative through which insightful donors can earmark their philanthropic gifts to support Goodwin students who are within reach of finishing their studies but have exhausted all other means of financial aid.

“These donors are committed to helping students who have worked so incredibly hard and are closing in on achieving their career goals, but just need that final push to cover tuition, textbooks, or other expenses,” Penders said.

Since establishing the Finish Line Fund in 2016, the Goodwin College Foundation, which serves as both the College’s fundraising arm for charitable contributions and the College’s endowment, has raised more than $90,000, reflecting gifts from 13 donors.

For the spring 2018 semester, five students have been awarded a total of more than $31,000. They include Miletzy Adorno (Nursing), Alyssa Chmielecki-Callahan (Nursing), Tamesha Drew (Nursing), Ana Perez (Nursing), and a Nursing school student who wishes to remain anonymous.

As the final part of the presentation, Penders introduced Dr. Carlita Cotton, professor of psychology at Goodwin.

“I was fortunate to be raised by a professor who realized that sometimes enrichment experiences, social opportunities, a free textbook, or even a hot meal can make the difference between academic success or dropping out for a student,” Cotton shared.

“It was not unusual for us to share our resources, our dinner table, or even my clothes with Mom’s students. Watching her blessing her students was so transformative for me, that I knew one day I’d be a giving teacher, just like Mom.”

To honor her mother’s spirit of generosity and educational legacy, Cotton has established the Alexinia Young Baldwin Ph.D. Fund to support Early Childhood Education students at Goodwin. She encouraged her colleagues to join her in helping smooth the path for students. “A little extra help can make the difference between staying in a class or dropping it and further delaying degree completion,” she said.

“The Goodwin culture is one of giving,” Cotton added. “We give our time, energy, and indeed part of our lives to the students we serve for the privilege of giving them an opportunity to serve others. Because helping is what we do at Goodwin.”

To learn more about support for deserving students, please visit www.goodwin.edu/giving or contact Director of Advancement Holly Winters at (860) 291-9934 or HWinters@goodwin.edu.

The post Giving at Goodwin Starts Off Strong for 2018 appeared first on Goodwin College.

On January 8, 2018, Goodwin College was honored to welcome Terry W. Hartle of the American Council (ACE) on Education as the guest speaker for Community Day, one of three occasions throughout the year when all College employees gather prior to launch the upcoming semester. Hartle is Senior Vice President for ACE’s Division of Government and Public Affairs and one of America’s most effective and experienced advocates for higher education.

At ACE, where he has served for more than 20 years, Hartle directs comprehensive efforts to engage federal policymakers on a broad range of issues including student aid, government regulation, scientific research, and tax policy. His work involves representation before the U.S. Congress, administrative agencies, and the federal courts. As an expert voice on behalf of colleges and universities, he is quoted widely in the national and international media on higher education issues.

During his remarks at Goodwin, Hartle offered an impartial overview of how today’s political climate and planned initiatives are likely to affect higher education. Afterwards he entertained questions from the faculty and staff.

“We are remarkably fortunate to have Terry join us today,” said Goodwin College president Mark Scheinberg in closing out the first part of Community Day. “As we’ve heard this morning, institutions of higher education are finding themselves at the center of a complex political puzzle. Terry is able to help us understand the pros and cons of where we stand and has provided clarity in seeing what could be ahead for how we serve our students.”

Given ACE’s historic role in coordinating the government relations efforts of some 60 associations in the Washington-based higher education community, Hartle plays a central part in developing public policy positions that impact all colleges and universities, and also oversees the Council’s external relations functions.

Prior to joining the Council in 1993, Hartle served for six years as education staff director for the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, then chaired by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Prior to 1987, Hartle was director of social policy studies and resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and a research scientist at the Educational Testing Service. Hartle has authored or co-authored numerous articles, books, and national studies and contributes regular book reviews to The Christian Science Monitor.

Hartle received a doctorate in public policy from The George Washington University (DC), a master’s in public administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University (NY), and a bachelor’s degree in history (summa cum laude) from Hiram College (OH). He was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree by Northeastern University (MA). He has received the Hiram College Alumni Achievement Award, and has been inducted into the Hiram College Athletic Hall of Fame. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

The post Terry W. Hartle, American Council on Education, Addresses Goodwin Community appeared first on Goodwin College.