WORCESTER—Quinsigamond Community College cut the ribbon this week on a project it hopes gives its students and alumni a genuine foothold in Worcester’s small-business economy.
The college formally launched the Auxilium Center for Entrepreneurship, a partnership with The Cliff & Susan Rucker Foundation and Auxilium Worcester, during a ceremony that drew local officials, business leaders and graduates who returned to talk about how difficult those first steps into entrepreneurship can be.
QCC President Dr. Luis Pedraja framed the center’s mission in simple terms. “Community college students come here with dreams, and our job is to empower them,” he said in the announcement. “This center is going to provide the resources to make that happen, thanks to the support of the Rucker Foundation and the support of our community.”
City and state officials presented the college with a Massachusetts citation and a certificate of achievement, and used the moment to underline the stakes. Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty called small businesses “the key to economic development here in the city,” while Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tim Murray and Council Vice Chair Khrystian King added their support for what they described as an investment in Worcester’s future workforce.
The center is designed as a one-stop hub for students and alumni looking to start or scale a business. It offers help with business planning, financial literacy and access to a network of mentors who can offer real-world guidance. The college touts it as a way to level the playing field for people who might not have access to those resources elsewhere.
Alumni who returned for the ceremony put a human face on the need. Harolyn Castillo, founder of Verde Events, described shifting from an 18-year nursing career into entrepreneurship and finding support at the college. “QCC is family for me. It was my first college and where I learned English. Having mentors around is very helpful,” she said in the announcement.
Rocky Knight, director of the Auxilium Center, said community members can get involved by hosting workshops or serving as mentors. Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Kathy Rentsch pointed to the center’s role in hands-on learning and in supporting a student population that spans ages and backgrounds. “We provide a unique opportunity that combines experience with academic grounding and social capital,” she said in the announcement.
The college sees the new center as a long-term investment in Worcester’s entrepreneurial pipeline, and one it hopes will pay off in the form of more homegrown businesses across the region.
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