Article • July 13, 2026
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MassBay Community College recently received $35,346.49 from Wellesley’s St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative which will assist students with textbook funding. Pictured from left to right, MassBay Vice President of Marketing, Communication, and Advancement, Jeremy Solomon, MassBay Foundation Member Stacy Okada, St. John-St. Paul Catholic Collaborative member Christein Kehoe, MassBay Foundation Board member Becky Kannam, St. John-St. Paul Catholic Collaborative Coordinator of Pastoral Care Sr. Colleen Gibson, MassBay President David Podell, St. John-St. Paul Catholic Collaborative Pastor Fr. Jim Laughlin, St. John-St. Paul Catholic Collaborative Director of IT and Communications Tricia Amend Bombara, MassBay Associate Director of Development Michelle Biscotti, St. John- St. Paul Catholic Collaborative members Barbara Weidlich and Walter Bak, pose on the MassBay Wellesley Hills campus, Wellesley, MA., May 2026 (Photo/MassBay Community College).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Liz Cooper
ecooper@massbay.edu
WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. (July 13, 2026) — MassBay Community College recently received a $35,356.49 gift from the St. John–St. Paul Catholic Collaborative in Wellesley to support the College’s Textbook Assistance Fund. Each year during the 40-day Lenten period, the Collaborative selects a local or global cause to support through its Lenten Gift Program. This year, the Collaborative chose MassBay's Textbook Assistance Fund as its beneficiary.
“We are extremely grateful for the generosity of the members of the St. John–St. Paul Catholic Collaborative,” said MassBay President David Podell. “Their Lenten Gift Program will have a profound impact on our students, ensuring many of them won't have to choose between purchasing required textbooks for their courses and paying rent or other bills. These difficult choices are often the reason our students are unable to continue their studies, putting a degree further out of reach and delaying or curtailing their aspiration of a sustainable, livable-wage career.”
During the 2025–26 academic year, MassBay awarded 912 textbook grants averaging approximately $175 each grant. While this support helps students offset the cost of course materials, the award often is not enough to cover all textbooks and required materials for a full course load.
One beneficiary of the Textbook Assistance Fund from this past year shared, “As a Certified Nursing Assistant working per diem night shifts while completing my nursing prerequisites at MassBay, I have experienced firsthand the challenges of having to choose between buying groceries and purchasing textbooks, between paying for transportation and covering other essential expenses.”
“Gifts like the one made by the St. John-St. Paul Catholic Collaborative are more than a lifeline for students in need,” said Vice President of Advancement, Marketing, and Communications Jeremy Solomon. “They have the power to change lives and create opportunities for generations to come.”
To learn more about MassBay Community College scholarships and how you can contribute, visit MassBay.edu/give
MassBay Community College is the most affordable higher education option in MetroWest Boston and is free to most Massachusetts residents without a bachelor’s degree. With more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs, along with comprehensive workforce and educational training, MassBay provides a wide range of courses with flexible day, evening, and weekend classes in Wellesley, Framingham, the Automotive Technology Center in Ashland, and online, in high-demand fields including health and life sciences, computer science, engineering, cybersecurity, business, and the humanities. MassBay students receive unparalleled value, with free one-on-one academic and social support services, compassionate and experienced faculty, and stackable credits that easily transfer to bachelor’s degree programs and that provide hands-on, workforce-ready skills. Health sciences, human services, early childhood education, and many general education programs are offered at the 65,000 square foot, state-of-the-art MassBay Framingham, which has served the community since January 2024. Founded in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by multiple governing bodies and remains dedicated to serving its diverse communities, fostering inclusiveness, and advancing equity for all.
