HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - Holyoke Community College (HCC) celebrated the grand opening of the Marieb Adult Learner Success Center and Parent Learning Center on December 11, marking a significant step forward in supporting adult learners and student parents. Dante Club holds final craft show of the year The centers were made possible by a $1 million posthumous donation from the Elaine Nicpon Marieb Foundation. Elaine Marieb, a former HCC faculty member and world-renowned author of anatomy and physiology textbooks, dedicated her life to education and was herself an adult learner. President George Timmons helps celebrate the grand opening of the Marieb Adult Learner Success Center and Parent Learning Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Holyoke Community College) “Education lifts people up into a new life stage and enhances their quality of life,” said Anne Morales Medina, HCC’s associate director of recruitment and enrollment management, quoting Marieb during the opening ceremony. Marieb, who began her college journey as a married mother of two, earned multiple degrees and became a celebrated educator before her death in 2018. The Marieb Adult Learner Success Center offers a dedicated lounge and study area for students aged 24 and older, along with staff offices for personalized support. Nearby, the Parent Learning Center provides a family-friendly environment equipped with a desk and play area for children, computer workstations, a library of children’s books, and more. “We are a space dedicated to HCC’s adult learner and student-parent community,” said Medina, “where students who are 24 or older, or any student parent, can receive admissions counseling, holistic advising, and career counseling, and attend workshops." The Parent Learning Center is particularly impactful, offering student parents a space where they can focus on their studies without worrying about being a distraction to others. Since the program launched earlier this year, over 200 HCC students have enrolled in the support initiatives. Medina emphasized Marieb’s belief in the resilience of adult learners and student parents. Marieb Adult Learner Success Center staffers, from left, Momina Sims (career planning and placement coordinator); Amy Woody (program coordinator); Anne Morales Medina (associate director of recruitment and enrollment); Danielle Clough (academic counselor); and HCC alum Elizabeth Busker '21, in the Marieb Adult Learner Success Center, holding a ceremonial check from HCC benefactor Elaine Marieb. (Photo courtesy of Holyoke Community College) Sharale Mathis, HCC’s vice president of academic and student affairs, highlighted the college’s mission: “Our job as a community college is to support every student that walks through the door with everything they walk through the door with. Through this generous donation and the launch of the Marieb Adult Learner Success Center and this Parent Learning Center, I hope our adult students and student parents know that we see you, we value you, and we support you." During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, HCC President George Timmons reflected on the lasting impact of Marieb’s generosity. “This is truly a major moment for us as an institution,” said Timmons. “We are unapologetic about removing barriers to student success. Every student who walks through these doors and is successful is testimony to Elaine Marieb’s legacy and commitment.” Local News Headlines Greenfield police gain access to school security cameras The end of the Boston property tax bill Massachusetts employees pay more for health care premiums Recent pedestrian crashes spark safety concerns locally WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.