Shonnita Leslie Named Minority Fellow at MCC

Manchester, CT – October 5, 2010)… Shonnita Leslie has been named to the position of minority fellow at Manchester Community College for the 2010-2011 academic year.

The Connecticut Community College System has administered a Minority Fellowship Program for qualified individuals interested in beginning or advancing a career in the community colleges for over ten years. The Minority Fellowship Program pairs an experienced college professional with a “fellow” for a year-long mentoring experience. The goal of the program is to further diversify the system’s professional workforce and to promote community college career opportunities as desirable options for members of minority groups.

The program offers a superb opportunity to work with and learn from an experienced faculty, staff or administrator, as well as a chance to build relationships with professionals in their field within the community college system. Fellows are exposed to the diverse needs and interests of students enrolled in the community college system. Fellows may be either current employees of the system or graduate students who have successfully completed at least six credits of graduate studies.

Leslie will work for the Office of Student Affairs division and will be mentored by Dr. G. Duncan Harris, dean of Student Affairs. Shonnita’s primary initiative will be supporting Dean Harris on an academic and career consortium project that will serve as an online resource bank focusing on key components such as educational institutional programs, government & policy educational supports, grants and scholarships, career resource programs, as well as mentor and social support for the greater Hartford’s African American and Latino populations. In addition to this project, Leslie will spend the year rotating through the four units of the Student Affairs division: Counseling and Career Services, Enrollment Management, Student Life and Student Affairs Operations.

A resident of Hartford, Leslie is a graduate of Windsor High School. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Virginia State University and a master’s of education in psychology with a concentration in school counseling from Springfield College. She currently works at Aetna as a Life Claims Analyst in Hartford, but hopes to use her fellowship experience to launch a career in higher education.
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Students of any age who possess the desire to pursue higher education are welcome at Manchester Community College. MCC is proud of its academic excellence, new world” credentials. The College offers over 60 programs, transfer options, financial aid and scholarships, as well as access to baccalaureate degrees through guaranteed admissions programs with several universities. MCC is situated on a park-like campus and is easily accessible from I-84.