BCC to Hold Celebration for Honors Scholars

08:09AM / Monday, May 29, 2023Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) will hold a celebration of students, faculty and staff involved in the Berkshire Honors Scholar Program, with special recognition of students who are graduating, on Thursday, June 1 from 2-3 pm on the main campus and on Zoom.

Following opening remarks delivered by Vice President for Academic Affairs Laurie Gordy, Honors Scholar Program alum Keira Codey will be the featured speaker.

After graduating from BCC in fall 2020, Codey attended Southern New Hampshire University. She graduated summa cum laude in August 2022 with a bachelor's degree in history. She now works as the Youth Liberal Arts Coordinator at the Boys and Girls Club of the Berkshires, where she has introduced new arts programming to the organization's extensive offerings.

Students in the Berkshire Honors Scholar Program contribute to a diverse community of learning at BCC. The program provides a creative and challenging student-driven experience, designed for highly motivated students who want to realize their full potential by pursuing the highest level of academic achievement possible at BCC. Eligible members must take at least nine credits of honors courses and maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher.

This year's Honors Scholar graduates, who completed nine credit hours of honors courses, are:

Ashton Bird, Valedictorian (Associate in Arts, Liberal Arts)
William Caseletto (Associate in Arts, Liberal Arts)
Connor Diehl (Associate in Arts, Liberal Arts)
Loretta Francoeur (Associate in Science, Human Services)
Olivia Millis (Associate in Arts, Business Administration)
Austin Rock (Associate in Science, Computer Information Systems)

Graduates who completed at least one honors course are:

Kymani Chapman (Associate in Science, Criminal Justice)
Gabrielle Harding (Associate in Science, Criminal Justice)
Crystal Harrington (Associate in Science, Physical Therapist Assistant)
Michela Laurin (Associate in Arts, Fine Arts)
Sinaia Smith (Associate in Arts, Liberal Arts)

In addition, two current Berkshire Honors Scholars are slated to receive awards on Awards Night, which will be held later the same evening at 6 pm. Audrey Bartzsch will receive the Berkshire Honors Scholar Award, and Renee LeClair will receive the Berkshire Honors Scholarship.

The Berkshire Honors Scholar Award was established to recognize an outstanding member of the Berkshire Honors Scholar Program. The scholarship is funded by the Berkshire Community College Foundation. The Berkshire Honors Scholarship is presented to a student currently in the Berkshire Honors Scholar Program who successfully completed or is currently enrolled in an honors course at Berkshire Community College. The scholarship is funded by friends of the Berkshire Honors Scholar Program.

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

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