WEST WINDSOR – A national charitable foundation, a Mercer County program for high school students aspiring to careers in health care, and an alumnus who earned his first college degree after the age of 60 will be among the awardees during the “Discover YOUR Community College” open house at Mercer County Community College (MCCC) on Saturday, Oct. 18.

This year’s open house event is an evolution of the traditional MCCC Board of Trustees Report to the Community held each fall, according to college President Dr. Patricia C. Donohue. For the first time the event will be held on a Saturday, with the entire campus open for faculty demonstrations, tours, alumni receptions, and information for current and prospective students, as well as their parents.

But it was important to maintain the traditional report to the community presentation and acknowledgment of community partners, Donohue said.

"It takes a community to build a community college," Donohue said. "This is an opportunity for us to invite our friends and neighbors to our campus to showcase our accomplishments, to demonstrate what Mercer has to offer, and also, to thank all of those that are helping to make it all possible."

This year’s recipient of the Alumni Leader Award is Eugene Marsh, a 2010 graduate of MCCC. Marsh grew up in poverty in the Jim Crow-era segregation of the south, and even after relocating to Pennsylvania, faced ongoing racism as a high school student. After graduation he joined the military and served in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor and the Army Commendation Medal. In 1998, Marsh founded the Princeton-based construction company Construction Management Services, and in 2004, he decided to return to college at Mercer. Taking courses part-time while he built his business, he completed his A.S. in Architecture in 2010, and this past spring, earned his bachelor’s degree from Rider University in Liberal Studies. Marsh has been a member of the college's Foundation Board for many years and has served as an adjunct professor, developing the curriculum and teaching in the Construction Project Management program.

The recipient of the Corporate Partner Award is The Chrysler Foundation, a consistent supporter of MCCC’s Automotive Technology program. For more than 29 years, the Foundation has provided funding and support that has allowed the program to grow and expand through the Mopar College Automotive Program. Chrysler’s support has been instrumental in providing the necessary training for students who aspire to become proficient in automotive repair.

Mercer County’s Health Science Academy is this year’s recipient of the Partner in Learning Award. The Academy is a full-time, four-year program offered at Mercer County Technical School, providing self-motivated high school students with comprehensive preparation for careers in health, medical, and biological sciences. The program began four years ago and graduated its first class of 19 in June. Current enrollment is approximately 90 students, all of whom will be taking at least one college-level course at Mercer during their junior and/or senior year.

The Board of Trustees Report to the Community and Awards Ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. in Room 109 of the Communications Building on the West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road, on Saturday, Oct. 18. Check-in for the "Discover YOUR Community College" open house begins at 9:30 a.m., with tours, presentations, demonstrations, and alumni receptions throughout the day, concluding at 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.mccc.edu/discover.

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