NMCC Students Win Free Tuition

Two students were the lucky winners of the NMCC Alumni and Friends Organization’s free-tuition raffle which began last spring.  The winning tickets were picked in front of anxious ticket holders last week.

Freshman Larry Spencer of Caribou and Senior Garrick Alley of Stockholm have won 12 credit hours this fall and they will receive another 12 credits for the spring semester.  The College donated the credits to the alumni group and proceeds from the raffle are retained by the organization which supports the College in various ways.

Spencer, who is taking Automotive Collision Repair, is the first in his family to attend college.   He is especially fortunate since the person who actually purchased the ticket, former NMCC Business Management instructor Gene Michaud, had indicated that the College should determine who would be awarded the prize.

“I can’t get over that a stranger would make a gift like this possible for Larry,” said Teresa Spencer, Larry’s mother.  “This is going to take a great weight off our shoulders!”

Alley, an Engineering Design Technology student, is a third-generation NM student—his mother and grandmother are alumni.  Once again, the winning ticket was purchased outside his family.  Trade and Technical Occupations Department Head Pam Buck had purchased a few tickets putting names on them of students she knows.

Due to family circumstances, Alley’s mother drives Garrick to school (a 70-mile roundtrip) and picks him up at the end of the day—a 140 mile-a-day commitment to get her son to NMCC.  Roxanne Alley had also purchased a raffle ticket for her son and expressed her sincere gratitude to Buck.

“I can imagine that Pam is as delighted as we are! This is great news!” said Roxanne Alley.  “This is a great day for our family!”