MCC Announces Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Class of 2019

MANCHESTER, Conn. (May 29, 2019) – Manchester Community College introduced the Class of 2019 valedictorian and salutatorian at the MCC Awards Ceremony last night, Wednesday, May 28, in the SBM Charitable Foundation Auditorium. The 2019 valedictorian is Ryan Harvey, of Manchester; the 2019 salutatorian is Heidi Bzdyra, of Glastonbury.

Harvey’s student focus is molecular biology, and while at MCC he participated in a joint program with the National Science Foundation and Princeton University to do research alongside Princeton faculty. He is, however, not a biology major, but an engineering major. He credits MCC’s faculty and advisors with helping him see the connection between the two. He is continuing his education at UConn, with career plans to engineer systems that apply to DNA and RNA disease cures.

Bzdyra came to MCC after earning a bachelor’s degree from UConn in horticulture. She is graduating a second time, now with a degree in occupational therapy. The mother of two grown children, she was told that she was too old to go back to school. Not only did she earn her degrees, but she rose to the level of salutatorian. For this success, she credits her mother, who attended the award ceremony with her.

Both are also recipients of the Board of Regents’ Medallion for Academic Excellence. Medallions are awarded at each of the community colleges to graduating students who have earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average. They are also graduating summa cum laude.

Harvey will deliver a Valedictorian Address at the 55th Commencement Exercises tonight, May 29, at 5:30 p.m.