Alexandros Valiantis has a long history with Housatonic Community College and the Bridgeport area. Alexandros is a first generation American of Ecuadorean and Cypriot heritage born and raised in Queens, New York where Alexandros parents met then raised a family before relocating to Connecticut in 2002. Alexandros recalls exploring the city of Bridgeport after school post moving to Connecticut with his parents who were both in real estate and would bring their kids along for showings all around the city.

Evie Gard entered Santa Monica College as a young mother with three children. Like many of our Housatonic students, she would work and take care of her children during the day and take classes at night. Evie’s dedication to her education allowed her to transfer to Mount St. Mary’s University where she earned her B.A. in liberal arts.

Meet Katrina Camerato, Housatonic’s new Women’s Center Coordinator. With high energy, and just a couple of months under her belt at HCC, she has big plans for our community.

Janice Schaeffler didn’t start college at age 18. Recognizing that she needed some time to mature and being good at math, she went to work in a bank. She then took a continuing education Table Games Dealer Course at Atlantic Cape Community College, and went to work dealing craps at Harrah’s Casino in Atlantic City.

Adam Scobie’s manufacturing career began at age 15. His dad, HCC Instructor George Scobie, owns MRH Tool in Milford, and would pay Adam to run some of the machines.

Originally from the heart of Chicago, Professor ‘Bernie’ Pasierb’s life was rapidly transformed after high school graduation when he was accepted to the US Military Academy at West Point at the height of the Vietnam War. Upon graduation in 1972 with a BS in Electrical Engineering, the war was ending and he served his five-year military commitment as an Army Officer with nuclear missile and telecommunications assignments in the U.S. and West Germany. While in Germany he earned his MBA…

For 15 years, Rachel Cain has been a dedicated part of HCC’s Math/Science teaching team. She was initially a part-time Lecturer but is currently Assistant Professor of Biology who teaches Introduction to Biology, General Biology I and General Biology II. Through community building, she empowers students every day to achieve their top learning potential.

Medgine Bright, Director of Student Activities, has been preparing for this role since she was a student herself at Southern Connecticut State University. There, she chaired multiple committees and also worked as a Resident Assistant.

Dean Robin Avant started preparing for her vocation at age six, when she taught and gave exams to her collection of teddy-bear pupils. A lasting passion and a lifetime of educational preparation for her role as an HCC professor and ultimately Dean of Academic Affairs ensued, and she’s not nearly done.

Professor John Favret credits a Certificate in Computer Graphics from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) with opening ‘all doors in life’. Prior to that certificate, John had earned a BA from Bridgewater State College and an MFA from East Texas State University, and worked at Sears in retail displays and management.

A lifelong New Englander, Professor Matthew Dunne joined Housatonic’s full-time faculty in 2015 after a stint as an adjunct professor at Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield, CT, his hometown. His journey to HCC began as a teaching assistant while earning his M.A. and Ph.D. at Brown University, and later as a visiting assistant professor at his alma mater, Stonehill College.

To say that Professor Pam Pirog is an active member of the HCC community is an understatement. In addition to teaching entrepreneurship and accounting courses, she serves as the coordinator of entrepreneurial education, partnering with local colleges and organizations. She is the coordinator of HCC’s VentureLab and SCORE office, is co-coordinator of the HCC Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Center and has held the position of the Business Department’s Department Chair.

Think of an octopus – one central mass with eight arms that think and act independently; its movements a brilliantly choreographed dance. When presented with a challenge, the dance doesn’t falter; the movements merely adjust. That scenario depicts the operations of the team that created the spring 2021 issue of Horizons magazine.