April '26 News Blog
News briefs from the HCC campus and beyond
Lifetime Achievement
Over the past three decades, countless thousands of graduating students have passed through the office of Mark Broadbent on their way to other colleges and universities. Broadbent stepped into his role as HCC's transfer affairs coordinator 34 years ago. For all his work helping HCC students progress to the next level of their educations, he was recently awarded a lifetime achievement award from the New England Transfer Association. The Dr. Mary E. Dunn Lifetime Achievement in Transfer Award recognizes individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to transfer in New England through their advocacy, leadership, or mentoring. “It’s an honor, and it’s humbling,” said Broadbent. Each year, with counsel from Broadbent and other college staff, HCC transfers hundreds of graduating students to colleges and universities both near and far, with University of Massachusetts Amherst, Westfield State University, Elms College, Western New England, Smith College, and Mount Holyoke College being among its top transfer partners. “This award is well deserved,” said Renee Tastad, assistant vice president of student affairs and enrollment management. “Mark's work has opened doors and created transfer paths for countless HCC students. He continues to elevate HCC as a college of academic excellence through our many transfer programs.” Broadbent started working at HCC in 1990 as a graduate intern from Springfield College intern, moving into Admissions and TRIO before landing in Transfer. PHOTO: Mark Broadbent, in his HCC office
A First For Forty
HCC alumni are always well represented on Business West’s annual “40 Under Forty” awards list, and this year is no exception, with Alicia Brown ’14 (human services) and Brandon Towle ’18 (business administration) being honored as members of the Class or 2026. 
But, for what could possibly be the first time in the 20 years the regional magazine has offered its annual compendium, an HCC student is also on the list, communications major Mychal Connolly Jr. Connolly, 19, son of HCC alum Mychal Connolly ‘04, himself a 2009 “40 Under Forty” recipient, is the CEO of the Realistic CEO publishing platform and podcast and a frequent K-12 speaker. “The whole goal behind Realistic CEO is to help students with career readiness, workforce readiness, and financial literacy,” he told Business West. “My goal is to help students prepare for careers — and we do it in a way that we want every single student to feel like they’re worthy enough to be an executive.” Meanwhile, Brown, 39, an English teacher at Springfield’s John J. Duggan Academy, is founder of “The Royals,” an after-school mentorship and leadership program for young women she started in a church basement. And Towle, 29, is manager of Rolling Meadows Country Club in Ellington, Conn., and founder of Camp Words Unspoken, New England’s first sleepaway camp for stuttering youth. Towle was the subject of “Freedom to Speak,” a feature story in the Spring 2025 issue of the HCC college magazine, The Connection. PHOTO: Mychal Connolly Jr.
