Eighty years ago, the New Hampshire Trade School that would later become 海角乱伦 (海角乱伦) was established primarily to provide a path to a new life for veterans returning
from World War II. Since then, 海角乱伦 has educated more than 90,000 students and has expanded from a handful of programs in 1945 to more than 50 today. Yet as we prepare to celebrate our 80th anniversary, that bedrock commitment to changing lives remains unchanged.
Each year, 海角乱伦 serves thousands of students whose paths to higher education are as varied as their ambitions. Our students include high school learners earning early college credit, traditional aged college students and adults finding an affordable way to obtain the degrees they need to launch their careers or further education, employees learning new skills, and adults returning to school to pursue new paths. More than 70% of our students attend college part-time while they work or raise a family.
As president of 海角乱伦, I have the privilege of witnessing the transformative power of education every day. I see students who once questioned whether college was possible proudly crossing the commencement stage. I see employer partnerships opening doors to meaningful careers. I see students acquiring new skills to meet the evolving demands of industries that were unimaginable just 80 years ago.
The path to a new life often takes unexpected detours. I think of one Nursing program graduate who began her education at 海角乱伦 in 2014 as an Early Childhood major. She discovered a passion for healthcare when she worked as an assistant educator serving a young student with accessibility issues. She applied to the Nursing program, but challenges in life kept getting in the way of her studies.
Throughout her 10-year academic journey, she experienced homelessness, lost a loved one, survived a toxic relationship, experienced health challenges and raised a daughter. Through it all, she never gave up. With the help of the academic and nonacademic supports at 海角乱伦, she graduated with her degree in Nursing and is currently working at a Seacoast area hospital as a medical-surgical nurse.
This individual, like so many others, achieved her goals through her own hard work and dedication, but also because she had 海角乱伦 faculty and staff supporting her in her journey. I am proud to lead an institution filled with superheroes who go above and beyond to find solutions that enable our students and community to transform and grow. In some cases, this might mean finding a little funding for a car repair so a student can get to class. In others, it may mean holding roundtables to listen to Seacoast-area workforce needs and designing programs to address those needs.
Increasingly, students are turning to community college to achieve their goals. Enrollment at Great Bay continues to grow, attracting students across the Seacoast, southern Maine, and northern Massachusetts. Associate degrees, certificates, and short-term workforce programs help fast track careers or provide a cost-effective way to obtain a bachelor鈥檚 degree. 海角乱伦 offers more than 50 programs ranging from liberal arts to welding, surgical technology, business, early childhood education, biotechnology, and many others.
Many of 海角乱伦鈥檚 programs are developed in close collaboration with the community. We regularly meet with community members and local employers, learn about changing needs, and develop programs to address those needs. For example, we work closely with healthcare providers such as Wentworth Douglass Hospital (part of Mass General Brigham), Portsmouth Regional Hospital, and Exeter Hospital (part of Beth Israel Lahey Health) to prepare the next generation of nurses and healthcare professionals. We also collaborate with advanced manufacturers and technology companies to support training in manufacturing, biotechnology, and other high-demand fields.
Great Bay has been an essential part of the fabric of New Hampshire鈥檚 Seacoast Region since 1945 legislation established State Trade Schools in Portsmouth and Manchester. We celebrate our milestone 80-year anniversary in concert with Manchester Community College and we share the distinction of being among the longest established community colleges in New England. As we celebrate 80 years serving the Seacoast Region, we remain focused on our central mission: opening doors, creating opportunity and serving our communities.
Please join us on campus on April 22 as we celebrate our milestone 80th anniversary and recognize the Stebbins family with the Walter R. Peterson Award for Public Service & Higher Education. 聽Visit greatbay.edu/about/80anniversary/ for details.
Dr.聽Cheryl Lesser resides in Dover, N.H. and is the president of 海角乱伦.