NMCC names wing after local couple
PRESQUE ISLE — The wing of the main classroom and administration building at Northern Maine Community College that houses the school’s business technology department will soon bear the name of a prominent central Aroostook couple. College officials will dedicate the Raynold and Sandra Gauvin Business Technology Wing during a noontime ceremony on campus April 19.
Raynold & Sandra Gauvin
“Our campus community has benefited time and again from the generosity, benevolence and unwavering support of Ray and Sandy Gauvin. We are so grateful to them both,” said NMCC President Timothy Crowley. “This is a most fitting gesture to recognize their support, the impact they have made on our campus community, and their legacy that will live on for generations to come.”
The Gauvins, of Mapleton, have long been supporters of NMCC, both as major donors and as active and involved members of the NMCC Foundation board of directors. The two were also driving forces in the $2.5 million Campaign for the County’s College, the first-ever major gifts campaign undertaken by the college and Foundation in 2006.
In addition to their work with the NMCC Foundation, the Gauvins have designed funds to help support the educational efforts of NMCC. The Gauvin Family Scholarship Fund helps several students annually achieve their educational goals, the Ray and Sandy Gauvin Faculty Advancement Fund allowed for the purchase of notebook computers in 2008 for NMCC faculty to advance the use of wireless technology in classroom teaching and learning, and the Gauvin County Scholarship Fund, a new effort, will soon provide scholarships to students from each Aroostook County high school annually who attend a higher education institution in northern Maine.
Ray, a retired entrepreneur, has been interested in supporting higher education from a young age. Upon his graduation, he benefited from the generosity of the Mark and Emily Turner Scholarship and realized the significance of sharing financial success. He has tried to carry that same philosophy of the Turners on to his own foundation. In addition, he served as a member of the statewide board of directors for the Sen. George J. Mitchell Scholarship Research Institute. As part of their board, he worked intently to assist the organization’s mandate to increase the likelihood that young people from every community in Maine aspire to, pursue, and achieve a college education.
Sandy, a lifelong educator who retired in 2003 after teaching for 25 years in both SAD 20 and SAD 1, at nearly every grade level and in most subject areas, has understood firsthand the importance of supporting the work of the individuals responsible for shaping the minds of future leaders.
The couple has tirelessly given of their time and money through the years to the college, and fully supports the idea of providing accessible, quality education at an affordable price — the very essence of NMCC. They additionally provide grants to area educational institutions for student achievement.
In addition to their interests in higher education, the Gauvins are also active members of the community at-large. They serve on various boards and have helped many organizations succeed in providing their services. In 2000, the Gauvins developed The Lighthouse Fund to help support local initiatives. Some of the organizations that have benefited from their generosity include Wintergreen Arts Center, Caribou Children’s Discovery Museum, Presque Isle Community Players, Aroostook Football League, Aroostook Teen Leadership Camp and the 2014 World Acadian Congress.
Several awards have been bestowed upon the Gauvins for their hard work and philanthropic endeavors. Ray, in particular, has received the Army Commendation Medal — Meritorious Service Award while serving in Vietnam, the 2008 NMCC President’s Award, the Service Award for the March of Dimes, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce, and has also been named as one of the Top 10 financial planners by Money Magazine.
The dedication ceremony for the Raynold and Sandra Gauvin Business Technology Wing at Northern Maine Community College will begin at noon Thursday, April 19 in the main lobby of the Christie Building on the NMCC campus. It is one of the many events planned at the College in April as part of the institution’s celebration of National Community College Month. For more information on the Gauvin event or other April events at NMCC, visit the College website at www.nmcc.edu or call the development and college relations office at 768-2810.
