Newton Resident Earns Highest Divisional Academic Award at MassBay's Commencement

Newton resident Donny Portman received the Divisional Award from the Humanities Division at Massachusetts Bay Community College’s 52nd Commencement Exercises on Thursday May 22nd. 

Mr. Portman earned a 3.981 cumulative grade point average and graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts.

Divisional Awards are presented to the student who achieved the highest grade point average in each of the College’s five academic divisions: Health Sciences; Humanities; Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics; Social Sciences & Professional Studies; and Transportation & Energy.  These awards consist of a plaque and an honorarium of $250 provided by the MassBay Foundation.

While at MassBay Mr. Portman was a tutor in Biology, English and Math.  He plans to attend UMass-Amherst in the fall, where he is enrolled in the Honors Program studying Pre-Med.  Donny credits his success at MassBay to his strong work ethic and his focused and driven approach.  When he is not at school or studying, his real passion is snow boarding. 

Approximately 300 Associate Degrees in Arts and in Science and Certificates were conferred at the 2014 Commencement Exercises.  President John O’Donnell welcomed the Commencement Speaker, Dr. Emmett G. Price III, Associate Professor of Music at Northeastern University and one of the nation’s pre-eminent scholars on African American music, culture and religion. The College’s orchestra-in-residence, the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra provided musical accompaniment. 

MassBay awards associate degrees and certificates in over 70 academic programs in a wide range of career-driven subjects ranging from accounting and automotive technology to forensic DNA science and early childhood education. The College’s facilities in Wellesley Hills, Framingham and Ashland house day, evening and weekend classes that meet the needs of degree-seeking students and career minded life-long learners. Online options provide convenience and allow faculty to facilitate the learning process. Since its founding in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by several governing bodies and strives to meet the needs of the diverse local communities it serves.  Registration is now underway for summer session II, which begins on July 7th, and for fall semester, which gets underway on September 2nd.