Mount Wachusett Community College receives $274K gift from Becker College assets

Photo | Courtesy of Mount Wachusett Community College Mount Wachusett Community College campus in Gardner

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Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner is the latest Central Massachusetts institution to receive a gift from the assets of former Becker College.

MWCC has secured a $274,212 donation to go toward its veterinary technology program, a program that accepted veterinary students and acquired equipment from Becker College after the Worcester school closed in 2021, according to a Monday press release from MWCC.

“We are deeply grateful for this generous donation from the Becker College Endowment,” Tara Novak, director of veterinary technology, said in the release. “This gift will play a crucial role in ensuring that our students have access to the resources and training they need to succeed in their careers.”

While the specifics of the funding distribution have yet to be determined, the college foresees the donation helping to provide critical resources for students to support program enhancement and student professional development.

MWCC’s veterinary technology program allows students to earn their associate of science degree in veterinary technology, which will prepare them to take the Veterinary Technician National Exam, their first step towards acquiring state licensure or certification, according to MWCC’s website.

The program offers a range of courses including those in anatomy and physiology, farm animal medicine, and veterinary radiology.

MWCC’s gift comes after two Worcester institutions received a combined $14.24 million from Becker College. Worcester State University was gifted $1.24 million, which the school will use to establish a nursing scholarship and study abroad program, while the Greater Worcester Community Foundation received a $13 million pledge, the largest in the organization’s history.

Becker College closed its doors in Spring 2021 after holding its last graduation on May 8 of that year. The school had approximately 1,700 students enrolled at the time of its closing.

Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.