The STCCing Point

Alumni and Friends Newsletter | May 2023

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY PROFESSOR RECALLS DAYS AS A DETERMINED STCC STUDENT

When she enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering Technology program at Springfield Technical Community College, Lineisha Dominicci-Rosario had no background or experience in manufacturing. She admitted feeling intimidated when she stepped into the machining lab in Springfield Technology Park and looked around at the state-of-the-art equipment that she would need to master to graduate.

“I had never worked with CNC machines at all,” she said, referring to Computer Numerical Control machines which make the lathes and mills work so they can create different parts and prototypes in the machining lab.

Having recently moved from Puerto Rico to Western Massachusetts, she also was still learning English while absorbing new engineering concepts as a student in the program.

But Dominicci-Rosario was determined to persist and get her degree. It helped that she found a strong support system at STCC. Her professors reached out to help her succeed whenever she was struggling. She befriended another student, also a young woman, who became a study partner.

Today, in 2023, Dominicci-Rosario not only has her degree from STCC in Mechanical Engineering Technology, but she is an assistant professor in the program. She teaches students engineering concepts and how to operate the CNC machines. As a faculty member at STCC, Dominicci-Rosario has come full circle.

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STCC INSPIRED ENTREPRENEUR TO CREATE

RETRO VIDEO GAME BUSINESS

When he was a student at Springfield Technical Community College, Frank Bond was given an assignment to create a business plan.

He focused on his idea of opening an arcade with a retro video game store. He wanted to operate a business that was fun and nostalgic. 

Nearly 20 years later, Bond ’08 today is living his dream. His STCC business plan evolved into a real business. Bond owns Stateline Video Games, with three locations. He specializes in retro video games, selling brands such as Nintendo and Atari, which were popular in the 1980s.

Reflecting on the business plan he created while a student at STCC, Bond says with a laugh, “I kind of do all those things now. It’s amazing how it worked out.”

Bond, who grew up in Agawam and graduated from Agawam High School, credits his experience at STCC with helping to shape the entrepreneur he is today.

“I absolutely loved my experience at STCC,” Bond said. “It's a running joke among my friends because I'm always touting how the college is one of the best community colleges in the country. I believe that. Not only is it the best college in the area, but the best community college in the whole United States.”

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STCC GRADS REFLECT ON ARCHITECTURE AND BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

On April 23, 2013, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education approved Architecture and Building Technology as a two-year associate degree program at Springfield Technical Community College.

“That was a great day,” Professor Warren Hall said. “We were approved after a seven-year process. Creating programs is something I love to do. I like to figure it out and find out how to get people through the door.”

As of commencement in May 2023, the degree program will have over 200 graduates who come from the greater Springfield region and beyond. Students enroll in the program – the only one of its kind in Western Massachusetts – to acquire skills that prepare them for careers in architectural design and construction-related fields. Some students can start their careers after graduating from STCC. Many transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

STCC has agreements with the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and other state colleges and universities that provide for a smooth transition into a bachelor’s degree program. Starting at STCC – the only technical community college in Massachusetts – can save students thousands of dollars compared to those who enter directly into a four-year college or university.

The program drew interest from Nathalia Hermida ‘16, who was living in Colombia in 2013 and considering colleges in the United States.

“I always wanted to go for architecture,” Hermida said. “I started looking for universities with my mom. She found out about a program at UMass Amherst, but the cost was too high for us, especially coming from Colombia. So, lucky for us, we found out that STCC had a program that would transfer into UMass’s architecture program. We looked into that. As a community college, it seemed like a really good program and was more affordable for us, so we decided to go with it.”

She earned her degree from STCC in 2016 before transferring to UMass and earning a bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Community Development. Today, Hermida works at Uncommon Architectural Places, founded by Alfonso Nardi, an adjunct professor in the STCC architecture program.

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