Scholarships awarded and strategic plan unveiled at Cape Cod Young Professionals First Annual Community Breakfast

Published on Thursday, June 28, 2012

On June 20, Cape Cod Young Professionals (CCYP) held its First Annual Community Breakfast, with nearly 225 young professionals and community and business leaders in attendance. The event was sponsored by the Catania Hospitality Group and held at the Cape Codder Resort and Spa in Hyannis.

State Sen. Dan Wolf provided the opening remarks for the breakfast and encouraged the attendees to embrace all that is unique about Cape Cod and the Islands. He emphasized the need to continually support the next generation of Cape Cod citizens and business leaders. Specifically, he mentioned the growing industries of agriculture, aquaculture, hospitality, eco-tourism, and healthcare and the importance of nurturing entrepreneurs and the local workforce.

An overview of CCYP’s recently completed Strategic Plan was presented by Chris Ward, President of CCYP, and an attorney at LaTanzi, Spaulding & Landreth, P.C. in Orleans. “The mission of CCYP is to connect Cape Cod’s emerging workforce and future leaders, engage them in our community, and to support their efforts to advance their lives, both business and personal, on the Cape. Our plan and work over the next three years is focused on these outcomes and we are taking a leadership role to ensure that we retain and recruit young professionals and families to the Cape.”

A highlight of the event was the distribution of over $12,000 in Career Connect scholarships to four local young professionals who are working on Cape Cod and pursuing a graduate degree or professional development certification. Career Connect is a program of CCYP and links together local businesses and local talent to create and offer internships, mentoring opportunities and scholarships to foster professional opportunity and achievement on Cape Cod.

The Career Connect scholarship award winners include Kathleen Duffy, a commercial shell fisherman from Marston Mills who is pursuing an MBA from UMass Dartmouth; Samantha Mueller who is currently part of the development team at Community Health Center of Cape Cod and is obtaining her master’s degree in social work from Boston University; Heidi Roberts, the events and fundraising manager at CHAMP Homes, who will soon begin an executive diploma in hospitality and events management from the International School of Hospitality; and Anna Henning, the organic farm manager at Redberry Farm in Eastham, who is working towards a degree in social work from Northeastern University.

To learn more about Cape Cod Young Professionals, the Career Connect program and the scholarship winners, please visit www.capecodyoungprofessionals.org or call 508-737-6146.


About the Scholarship Recipients:

Kathleen Duffy
Recently, after five years of full-time travelling for a corporate job, Kathleen settled back on the Cape and decided to pursue her MBA at UMass Dartmouth. In 2011, Kathleen was granted a commercial shell fishing license in Barnstable. This scholarship will help to allow her to continue the journey for both her MBA from UMass Dartmouth and grow her business, Duffy’s Shellfish.

Samantha Mueller
Samantha is a development professional at the Community Health Center of Cape Cod. She is lifelong resident of Cape Cod who is committed to remain here and help those in need. Samantha is obtaining her master’s degree in social work from Boston University.

Heidi Roberts
Heidi Roberts is the events and fundraising manager for CHAMP Homes in Hyannis. With this scholarship, Heidi plans on attending the International School of Hospitality. Through this course she will earn an executive diploma in hospitality operations with an emphasis in event management. Her long-term goal is to continue planning successful events here on the Cape and Islands.

Anna Henning
Anna cares deeply for the land and people of Cape Cod and is pursuing a degree in human services from Northeastern University. Anna is very involved with the community, including her role as the garden coordinator for the Nauset Youth Alliance Children’s garden in Brewster and the Children’s Community Garden in Truro. Anna is a certified Green Gardener and currently works as the organic farm manager of Redberry Farm in Eastham.