Capital Community College Foundation

🌈 Happy Pride Month from CT State Capital! 🌈

This month, we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and reaffirm our commitment to fostering a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive environment where everyone belongs.

Looking for ways to celebrate locally? Downtown Hartford is hosting several events throughout June, across the street from campus, including:

• Hartford Taste Festival (June 5–7) on Pratt and Trumbull Streets, featuring food, music, art, and community activities.

• Capital City Pride (June 13), just steps from our campus, with Pride on Pratt, a family-friendly street fair on Pratt Street, followed by PrideFEST at Mortensen Riverfront Plaza and an evening afterparty.

• Salsa Social on Pratt Street (June 26), bringing live music, dancing, and community engagement to downtown Hartford.

As a campus located in the heart of Hartford, we're proud to celebrate Pride alongside our students, employees, and neighbors.

CT State Capital recently hosted the Capital Career Advancement Program End-of-Semester Presentations, where scholar interns and scholar apprentices from the Travelers EDGE, LAZ, and Intact programs reflected on their experiences, shared what they’ve learned throughout the year, and discussed their future career goals.

Students also took time to recognize and thank Program Coordinator John Thomas, along with the dedicated partners from Travelers, LAZ, and Intact, for their mentorship, guidance, and continued support throughout their journey.

We are proud of our students and grateful for the strong partnerships that continue to create meaningful opportunities for student success, professional growth, and career advancement.

CT State Capital community came together wearing denim to show solidarity and support for survivors of sexual assault. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped us create a space of awareness, strength, and compassion. 💙

We are thrilled to announce our 2026 commencement speaker, Dinora E. Lopez, Esq., a proud CT State Capital alumna!

Dinora Lopez currently serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Liberty Bank. Located in Middletown, Connecticut, Liberty Bank is the oldest and largest mutual bank in the country.

Dinora, who joined Team Liberty in 2023, leads Liberty Bank's Office of General Counsel and supports all Bank business lines.

As a leading ambassador of Liberty Bank's "Community Kind" brand, Dinora is very active in her community and serves on many boards and volunteers with several organizations, supporting initiatives that promote access to justice and education. She is the chair of the Capital Foundation Board of Directors, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Attorneys Title Insurance Company (CATIC), as well as the American Cancer Society and Interval House, and she is a member of Hartford HealthCare's Hartford Region Board of Directors.

Dinora earned her law degree from the University of Connecticut (UConn), her bachelor's degree from the University of Hartford and her associate's degree from CT State Capital. She is a recipient of the Graduates of the Last Decade Impact Award from the UConn Law School Alumni Association.

Prior to joining Liberty, Dinora was employed by private law practices where she worked closely with, and counseled, senior leaders at many banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions.

In addition to work and volunteering, Dinora enjoys running, reading and spending time with her family and friends. Join us as we celebrate the next chapter for our Class of 2026. Capital's Commencement Ceremony takes place Thursday, May 21, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Dunkin' Park.

⛳ The 2026 Capital Golf Classic is rooted in one goal: supporting student success.

At CT State Capital, every dollar raised helps expand access to education, fund scholarships, and strengthen programs that prepare students for meaningful careers and service in our community.

We’re grateful for the partners, corporate, nonprofit, and community, who come together to invest in that mission. Your support helps turn opportunity into reality for our students.

Join us in making an impact: https://bit.ly/capitalgolf2026

🎉 Join us tomorrow for our Belonging Lunch!

Celebrate Asian, Pacific Islander & Arab Heritage Month (AAPI) with an afternoon of culture, community, and connection.

-11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
-11th Floor Auditorium

Experience a vibrant Lion Dance performance and enjoy a variety of cultural cuisines, including Vietnamese, Indian, Arab, and Chinese dishes.

It is with great pride and excitement that we announce Marlene Hageman, RN, MSN as this year’s CT State Capital Nightingale Award recipient. Marlene will be honored on May 5, 2026 at the CT Convention Center.

Marlene exemplifies the very best of nursing through her innovation, dedication, and unwavering commitment to student success. She fosters a dynamic and engaging classroom environment, inspires critical thinking, and is a steadfast advocate for her students. Her meaningful work with the CT State Capital Nursing Student Association further reflects her passion for mentorship, leadership development, and community engagement.

The CWP and DEI Committees hosted Sparking Curiosity: Walk ‘n’ Talk, an engaging, cross-campus experience that brought students, faculty, and staff together in motion and in conversation.

As we walked downtown, we explored a shared question: how do we create learning environments where people don’t just attend, but genuinely want to be? The result was a series of thoughtful, honest, and energizing exchanges about curiosity, belonging, and what meaningful engagement looks like in practice.

What stood out most was the quality of dialogue; open, reflective, and rooted in a clear commitment to strengthening our campus community.

The Black Student Union (BSU) had a great time watching a film on American black history and reflecting on its powerful themes of justice, leadership, and the strength of the spoken word. The film’s message “an unjust law is no law at all” sparked a meaningful conversation about voice, resistance, and what it means to stand firm in your beliefs.

They also discussed how the characters’ leadership and determination still resonate today in classrooms, communities, and beyond.

If you’re interested in joining BSU, please reach out to Student Activities or email [email protected].