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"When I came to ºìÐÓÖ±²¥, I knew I loved theatre, and I got really involved," says Patrick Connor (Fantastick Patrick). "I wasn’t expecting to enjoy classes like Western Civ, but I did. My professors were great – they encouraged me to pursue whatever it was I wanted to do. I actually started to love being a student, and I still do."

"You need to try your dreams. Only by trying will you know if you're going to make it or not," says Mary Toole, who graduated from ºìÐÓÖ±²¥ in 1969 with an associate degree in liberal arts. "You don't want to get to the end of your life regretting. I would never have gotten where I am without ºìÐÓÖ±²¥. It gave me the chance to try."

Embracing the unexpected twists of life, Jay Ogle transformed his associate degree earned in Human Services into the foundation of his dynamic approach to business development. ... "I chose ºìÐÓÖ±²¥ for its accessibility, affordability and the fact that I was able to integrate the huge time commitment of school into my working life."

Phlebotomy is literally in Wendi Ridgeway's blood. Her grandmothers and great-grandmothers were nurses, and she had an interest in healthcare at a young age. "It's a genetic thing for me." ... She liked the phlebotomy part of the classes best, even though she had some obstacles to overcome.

Even though Stefanie Weber grew up in Pittsfield, a self-proclaimed "GE kid," she never imagined she'd live here full time to pursue her art. Today, she is an action-based artist who specializes in dance, movement and performance, having worked with famed Berkshire institutions such as Jacob's Pillow, Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Opera Company and others.