The Massachusetts Mentoring Partnership (MMP) recently hosted its Decade of Impact award celebration on November 8, at the Springfield Museums, to honor key “Community Difference Makers” and celebrate 10 successful years of working in Western Massachusetts. MMP serves more than 250 programs statewide supporting over 33,000 youth in quality mentoring relationships.
During the celebration, MMP honored Western New England President Anthony S. Caprio, and alumnae Sarah Shugrue ’08 and Denise Cogman ’93, as “Community Difference Makers” during the past decade. The three were among several individuals and institutions in western Massachusetts that were recognized for contributions to MMP’s establishment and growth in providing caring support for young people.
President Caprio’s involvement with MMP stretches back two decades. A longtime champion of mentoring, he served as a board member of MMP from 2001 until 2010. Western New England University housed MMP’s western Massachusetts office from 2007 to 2011.
Sarah Shugrue, currently a program officer for the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, spent almost four years with MMP as a manager. While attending Western New England, Shugrue held her first mentoring and leadership role as a Peer Advisor. She was also the president of C.A.R.E. (Community Action Rewards Everyone), the student-organized community service club.
During her time with MMP, Shugrue worked closely with fellow alumna and honoree Denise Cogman, the president and chief executive officer of Springfield School Volunteers, a member institution of MMP. Every year, Springfield School Volunteers manages more than 2,000 volunteers who mentor students in the Springfield Public Schools.
Western New England University has recently been expanding its mentoring influence in the Springfield community through its growing partnership with nearby Duggan Academy. What began as ad hoc collaborations spanning a Robotics summer camp to a Mock Trial club run by law students, a book donation program created by a University intern to bolster Duggan’s classroom libraries, to a student-produced anti-bullying video, the partnership between Duggan Academy and Western New England University has been long-standing and very successful.
