City Councilor Adrienne E. Adams Gives Keynote Speech at Jubilee Celebration

(from left) MMC President Kerry Walk, Ph.D., Eileen Bertsch, Councilor Adrienne Adams; HEOP Director Harmony Cross, and Mr. Bertsch

MMC celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) at the College’s Golden Jubilee Celebration on Friday, October 18 as part of Family and Friends Homecoming Weekend.

On Friday, October 18, family, students, alumni, and staff packed the Regina Peruggi room oto celebrate the MMC program’s founder, Eileen Bertsch, and the longevity and impact of HEOP at MMC. One of the afternoon’s special guests, City Councilor Adrienne E. Adams of Jamaica, Queens, praised MMC’s commitment to equal educational access in her keynote address.

Eileen Bertsch, former Academic Dean and Grant Writer who helped form the Community Leadership Program (HEOP’s predecessor) at MMC, received an award for her contributions to the program and gave a beautiful speech on the history and legacy of HEOP. “We were very grateful and humbled to hear Eilene take us down memory lane during her time as the CLP and HEOP director in the 1960’s,” recounts Harmony Cross, Director of the HEOP at MMC. “We were also very thankful for NYC Council Member Adrienne Adams for delivering the keynote address, despite of having two other events to attend that evening. To have such strong institutional support for the operation and continuation of the Higher Education Opportunity Program is incredible.”

Many thanks to everyone who made this event possible, and to the families and friends who could join us in celebrating!