GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community College student Emily Emmons of Northampton is among the “29 Who Shine,” a group of outstanding Massachusetts public college and university graduates honored by the Department of Higher Education at a Statehouse ceremony Monday.
Every year, one graduate from each of the 29 Massachusetts public campuses is recognized for academic achievements and record of student leadership and community service.
Emmons, 27, will graduate from GCC in June with an associate in arts in liberal arts with a concentration in computer science. Nominated for the award by GCC President Bob Pura, she will transfer to the University of Massachusetts Amherst to study toward a bachelor of science degree in computer science with a software engineering focus. She plans a career centered on encouraging people to study computer science.
Emmons is a first-generation college student putting herself through school who has a 3.57 GPA. She has served as a peer tutor while at GCC.
Emmons said, “There are many great professors at GCC and everyone makes themselves very available. Doug Wilkins taught the Introduction to Computer Science class I took and he really helped me with navigating school.
“I took two English courses from Scott Herstad and he encouraged us to determine what questions most interested us, and to explore them, even if they are really difficult. By doing that, we can find the most rewarding path. That was a great message to have when I was going back to school, and it has stuck with me and influenced me. I like the challenge of writing and think there is room for the language around computer science to change.”
In a statement released by the college, Wilkins said, “Emily is hard working and a great person who has chosen to study in a challenging field. In her first programming class, Emily was always positive, participating actively in class and doing what she needed to do and more. She asked insightful questions and always tried to get as much as she could about everything.”
Pura said, ” Her GPA is just one testament to her commitment to doing good work. It is her courage that really is most noticeable when you stop to get to know her. A courage that, combined with her intelligence and commitment to hard work, will open doors and pave new paths in the world of a software engineer.