NHTI Alumni and Development News
- Health Education Center Capital Campaign to Help Solve Critical Nursing Shortage
- Benton (’85) Women’s Engineering Technology Scholarships Awarded
- Alumni Club Awards Two $1,000 Scholarships
- Alumni Travel to Mohegan Sun
- Alumni Trips in 2007: Boston Pops, Fishercats Baseball and the Blue Man Group
- College Receives $1 Million Gift
- New Student Center Opens
Health Education Center Capital Campaign to Help Solve Critical Nursing Shortage
New Hampshire faces a critical nursing shortage and we are doing something about it!More than half of fully qualified applicants to our nursing education program are turned away because of lack of facilities and faculty. Our plans to develop a new Health Education Center will allow the College to enroll more nursing students and place more Registered Nurses into the work force each year. These students will pursue careers that are personally rewarding and generate real living wages for their families--as well as provide nursing care that you, your family and neighbors may need some day.
Plans include developing programs for an advanced nursing degree and continuing education. This means that our graduates, both past and future, will have greater opportunity to advance their careers in management, education or their chosen specialized disciplines.
Vision of Quality Health Care
As the State's premier provider of nursing education, NHTI, Concord's Community College is taking a leadership role in providing solutions to meeting the demand for allied health care providers. Our vision is to develop a Health Education Center will allow the College to increase overall enrollment by more than 60%, placing an additional 50 RNs into the workforce each year, as well as provide career advancement opportunities through new programs for an advanced nursing degree and continuing education.
The 20,000-square-foot Health Education Center will include a state-of-the-art nursing education facilities. The cornerstone of the project is the Simulated Nursing Skills Lab with Tiered Lecture Hall ("Sim Lab") and Simulated Hospital Nursing Suite. The Sim Lab will feature eight hospital beds outfitted with modern hospital equipment for hands-on instruction using current field practices and equipment. The tiered lecture hall will accommodate 25 students for Sim Lab observation, with a retractable wall allowing use as separate instruction space. Other features include:
- Auditorium & Lobby
- Student Learning Center
- Science Lab
- Computer Lab
- Conference Room & Lecture Halls
Investing In Success
In launching the $3 million capital campaign for the nursing education component of the Health Education Center, the College is building upon the public and private partnership we have forged among the health care community, corporate givers, charitable organizations and generous private citizens. Want to learn how you can help? Contact the College's Development Office at 603-271-7735 or llewis@ccsnh.edu.
To join our family of supporters, go to Make A Donation.
Benton (’85) Women’s Engineering Technology Scholarships Awarded
The first ever recipients of the Frances H. Benton Women’s Engineering Scholarship for students matriculated in engineering technology programs at NHTI, Concord's Community College are Jaime Brunelle of Merrimack and Susan Wilson of Manchester.
Jamie Brunelle Brunelle is a part time student matriculated in the mechanical engineering program. She is a clerk at the courtesy counter at Star Market in Nashua. Wilson is a part time student enrolled in the electrical engineering program and works as an assembler at Insight Technology in Londonderry. Both women received $1,000 awards.
The scholarships are provided by the Frances H. Benton Women’s Engineering Scholarship Fund, established in 2005 by alumna Francie Benton, a 1985 graduate of the mechanical engineering program, to encourage women to pursue careers in mechanical engineering and other engineering fields. Francie is now a senior mechanical engineer at MARKEM Corp. in Keene, where she resides.
Susan Wilson To learn more about the scholarship program, contact the NHTI Alumni and Development Office at 603-271-7735 or
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Alumni Club Awards Two $1,000 Scholarships
The NHTI Alumni Club has awarded its first Alumni Scholarships to Ryan Kane of Exeter and Beth Corrigan of Hudson. Both received $1,000 awards toward their tuition, fees and expenses related to attending NHTI.
Ryan Kane Ryan is in the criminal justice program. He wants to obtain a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and become a law enforcement officer like his father, who has been chief of police in Exeter for 25 years. Beth is a 2004 graduate of NHTI’s paramedic program and is now in the nursing program. She plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree and become a certified nurse anesthetist.
The Alumni Scholarship program was created by the NHTI Alumni Club last spring. The scholarships are made possible by the fundraising efforts of the Alumni Club and the generosity of alumni, the NHTI Student Senate and friends of the College.
Beth Corrigan First-year and returning students are eligible for the Alumni Scholarship, with preference given to the dependents of NHTI alumni. The deadline for applying is August 1 for scholarships awarded the following September of each year. For an application go to www.nhti.edu/alumnidevelopment/waysalumni.htm or the Financial Aid office.
The Alumni Club is looking for members to help with the scholarship program and coordinate alumni events! For more information, contact club advisor Lee Ann Lewis at 271-7735 or
In the first Alumni Club-sponsored trip, 40 alumni, faculty and staff traveled to Mohegan Sun Casino by charter bus on Saturday, November 11th. Trying their hands at the slot machines (right) are Stan Zielinksi and Kunyu Bu-Zielinski.
Meanwhile, enjoying the buffet lunch are Mando Kangarloo ’03, John Park ’02 and Marie Favaloro ’02 ... ... while Michelle Rollins, Marsha Bourdon ’03 and Robin Fedion show off their winnings. 
Alumni Trips in 2007:
Boston Pops, Fishercats Baseball and the Blue Man Group
Boston Pops and Symphony Hall
Friday, May 11, 2007
Enjoy this Baby Boomer theme performance. From hula hoops to hi-tech gadgets, baby boomers have shaped the world we live in. Hear exactly how with songs from the Beatles to the Village People, classic themes from television and film and an unforgettable audience sing-along with the Boston Pops orchestra in Symphony Hall! We’ll start with dinner at Skipjack’s, voted Boston’s top seafood restaurant in 2004. Choose from a special group menu (advance choices not required!) Motorcoach leaves NHTI campus at 4 p.m. and returns around 11:30 p.m. All for just $119. Limited 1st balcony seating. Reserve tickets by March 19. www.bso.org
NHTI Night at Fishercats Baseball
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Enjoy Double AA baseball action at Merchantsauto.com Stadium. See the Fishercats play the New Britain Rock Cats and get a Hot Diggety Dog meal all for just $11 each! An affordable family outing for the kids. Meal includes hot dog, chips and beverage. Plus, it’s logo baseball night! www.nhfishercats.com
Blue Man Group at the Charles Theatre
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Blue Man Group is a creative organization perhaps best known for their successful theatrical productions which combine comedy, music and multi-media artistry to create a form of entertainment that is totally unique. Kids will enjoy the lights, color and spectacle. Adults enjoy the humor, social commentary and depth of the character. A great family outing opportunity! (Not recommended for children under five.) Motorcoach leaves NHTI campus at 3:15 p.m. Dinner is on your own. The show starts at 7 p.m. and we return to NHTI around 10:30 p.m. Just $89. Limited “poncho” seating! Reserve tickets by Sept. 25. www.blueman.com
For further information about any of these trips, contact Lee Ann Lewis at (603) 271-7735 or llewis@ccsnh.edu
College Receives $1 Million Gift
Earmarked for helping reduce state’s critical nursing shortage
NHTI, Concord's Community College President Lynn Kilchenstein has announced a $1 million commitment to the College by Robert and Beverly Grappone to fund expansion of the nursing education program.
“This is an extraordinary act of generosity by the Grappones,” said President Kilchenstein. “It will make a dramatic difference for many future NHTI students who might otherwise not be able to pursue a career in nursing.”
The Grappones, owners of The Grappone Companies auto dealerships that opened in Concord 80 years ago, are well known for their widespread giving and commitment to many charitable organizations and causes in New Hampshire. They were recognized as “Citizens of the Year” by the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce in 2003Expanding access to health care is a favorite cause of the Grappones. Beverly Grappone, a registered nurse who once studied at NHTI and funds a nursing scholarship at the College, has regularly given her time and skills to health related causes. Bob is chair of New Hampshire Easter Seals. In 1995, they were honored as philanthropists of the year by the New England Association for Healthcare Philanthropy.
Studies show that New Hampshire needs nearly 600 new nurses each year to meet the demand, but currently graduates just over half that many. Kilchenstein noted that at a time when the population is growing and aging, and a large proportion of the nursing work force is nearing retirement, the College turns away about 75% of nursing program applicants each year due to lack of space.
“It couldn’t have come at a better time as the state continues to experience a critical shortage of nurses, yet the state’s nursing colleges are at capacity”, President Kilchenstein commented, “We can all be very grateful for their exceptional foresight, leadership, and generosity.”
“We support this because it is something the healthy do to be healthier,” says Bob Grappone. “It makes good business sense and it will make society better.”
The capital fund drive to expand the nursing program has reached $2.43 million. The College’s goal is to reach $3 million by year’s end and break ground on a new 20,000-square foot health education center next year.
The new Student Center at NHTI was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 17. The 16,000-sq.-ft. facility, funded by student activities fees, brings under one roof all non-academic student support services.
"It is developing as a wonderful place for students to gather informally with their peers and faculty, as well as a place to access all non-academic student services. Everyday students are becoming more comfortable and we're seeing more and more activity," says Stephen Caccia, Vice President of Student Affairs. "It's especially important since 90% of our students are commuters and don't truly have a place to go on campus when not in class."
The $3 million facility, which faces the Quad and is connected to the gym and creates a new entrance to the Wellness Center and Sweeney Hall, has quickly become the hub of campus life. The center accommodates indoor meeting areas and conference rooms, a communication center, office space for clubs and organizations, a student employment opportunities area, and space for cultural programs.
The two-story great room sports air hockey, pool and game tables. The room is flooded with natural light from a wall of windows and an oculus skylight, a circular opening at the top of the building's dome. A four-sided fireplace with granite hearth, made possible by generous donations from Institute Advisory Board Members Bev Grappone and Conrad Trulson, provides homey warmth. Students enjoy a sound-system and 52-inch plasma TV during downtime.
This "home away from home" for students will also include an outdoor patio when renovations to the Bistro Café are completed this summer. An exercise room for aerobics, yoga, tai chi, and other activities will improve fitness offerings, and conference rooms will expand meeting space available for on-campus clubs and local community groups.