Speaking before the North Shore Chamber of Commerce yesterday, state Board of Higher Education chairman Charles Desmond of Danvers made note of the two "amazing" public colleges located right in his backyard — Salem State and North Shore Community College.
Indeed, what were formerly considered "safety" schools for students applying to college, have taken great leaps forward in terms of their prestige and the career opportunities their various degree programs provide.
Salem State is today on the verge of achieving university status. NSCC provides an important path to either advanced degrees or a career for hundreds of North Shore students each year.
John Ting, dean of the College of Engineering at UMass Lowell, recently sent NSCC President Wayne Burton a letter commending him on the success rate of North Shore students transferring into his school, noting that it is "well above" that of other colleges in the state system.
On the creative side, the quality of the arts programs at Salem State were prominently on display at its Center for Creative and Performing Arts' Creativity Awards held Monday night in the school's new recital hall (itself a little-known gem) on Central Campus.
Eight students — Chris Coulon (art and design), Megan Oullet (creative writing), Danielle Foley (dance), Erin Newhall (dance), Vitor Moraes (music), Kayleen Rossio (music), Katelyn Collins (theatre) and Christina "Rosie" Kenney (theatre) — were honored, and their presentations made it clear they were fully deserving of the award.
In fact, Spiro Veloudos, artistic director of Boston's Lyric Stage Company and the recipient of a lifetime achievement award, made note of the talent that's come out of Salem State's great, but still relatively unsung, drama program. (Plans are being weighed for a major revamp of the school's Mainstage Theatre on Lafayette Street, which might help draw more patrons to the school's productions.)
As the economy begins to rebound, look for both schools to play an even more prominent role in improving the quality of life here on the North Shore.
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