BHCC Hosts Admission Breakfast with Focus on Arts, Humanities, Communication, Design and Liberal Arts
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
The Fall 2024 Admissions Community Breakfast, hosted at the Pao Arts Center on October 22, focused on Arts, Humanities, Communication, Design and Liberal Arts and their role in shaping adaptable, empathetic, and well-rounded individuals essential in today’s workforce. Guests included high school guidance counselors, community partners, and BHCC faculty, staff, and students.
Soo Park, Dean of Humanities and Learning Communities, gave an insightful keynote speech. She emphasized the value of Humanities and Liberal Arts education and addressed common misconceptions that these fields lack technical skills and clear career paths. She highlighted the versatility of humanities studies’ skills and their applicability across industries, such as technology and pharmaceuticals. Park underscores the intrinsic value of Humanities in understanding human experience. She shares examples like the Hanford History Project, which preserved personal stories of residents in a historic nuclear site, and the American Voices Project, which documented social inequities revealed by COVID-19.
Park says, “With rapid advancements in AI, Humanities are essential for developing ethical frameworks and cultural awareness, ensuring that technology benefits the public. Humanities education fosters empathy, ethical reasoning, and a societal focus.”
Sydney Morgan, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at UMass Boston, also attended the event. A month earlier, UMass Boston and BHCC signed a joint admissions partnership. Sydney shared how the “Future Beacons” program allows BHCC students to be admitted to UMB while completing their associate degree, enjoying the benefits of both schools. The partnership agreement enables both institutions to better support students with course selection and degree attainment.
Molly Phelps, BHCC’s Director of the Humanities to Career program, introduced the Humanities to Career initiative at BHCC, funded by a $1.1 million grant from the Mandel Foundation. She described the program’s four pillars: career navigation services, paid internships, work-focused ethnography courses, and credentialing, and emphasized the importance of internships for humanities students to improve career outcomes and meet the demand for durable skills like communication. She also discussed the new micro-credential program that integrates essential workplace skills within existing courses, validated by employer input for relevancy in real-world careers.
A panel of three Bunker Hill students shared their motivations for joining BHCC, citing its diversity, community support, and specific programs, such as internships for communications and music. Music student Randy Lara highlighted private lessons and performance opportunities that helped shape their practical skills. Rylie Sprague, an English major and writing tutor, discussed the rewarding experience of assisting peers, underscoring the conversational aspect of writing. Tyoviginou Beauvais, a communications major, emphasized the value of strong support for career development and the opportunities provided for professional networking.
Other BHCC speakers included Renata Mauriz, the Director of Immigration Services, who discussed tuition equity and supporting immigrant students at Bunker Hill, especially those with undocumented or temporary immigration status; Michael Costello, Associate Director of Student Central, who presented on two free tuition programs, MassEducate and MassReconnect; and Professor Maria Kathleen N. Puente, who spoke about the Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) community at BHCC.
Bunker Hill Community College is committed to evolving its Humanities programs to be career-focused, supporting students in building meaningful, adaptable skills.