NCCC award recipients of Northwest CT Chamber of Commerce: Leaders under 40
Celebrating Northwest Connecticut’s Best and Brightest
Litchfield County Leaders Under 40 is a magazine publication featuring young people in the Northwest Corner of CT who are making exceptional contributions to the region both personally and professionally. Over 100 nominations were submitted by the public and a panel of local leaders judged the nominees using the following criteria:
- Career or educational achievement to-date
- Commitment to excellence in their industry
- Leadership within their organization
- Involvement in the community
- Leadership in community organizations
- Potential impact to the community’s future
The 40 individuals who were selected to be honored have gone above and beyond to make this region a better place in which to live and work. The goal of the publication was to demonstrate to other young people the various opportunities that exist for them in Northwest Connecticut and highlights our great, vibrant community. Below are NCCC’s award winners.
Johanna Idrovo-Sarmiento – 2018 NCCC graduate; attending Quinnipiac University
In less than three years, Johanna has gone from knowing virtually no English to being recognized as a Robert T. Kenney Scholar and a Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship semifinalist (April 2018, decision). She formed the AAUW of NCCC club to promote women’s advocacy and to open conversations on such topics as pay inequity, women’s rights, and salary negotiation. She graduated from Northwestern Connecticut Community College with honors in May 2018 with an Associate degree in Liberal Arts & Science.
Brian Ohler – State Representative, 64th district and 2016 NCCC graduate
For 12 years, Brian’s military service with the Connecticut Army National Guard took him all over the world. Upon returning home, he created Patriot Safety Group LLC. In the days following the tragic incident at Sandy Hook Elementary, Brian volunteered hundreds of hours to prepare a Physical Security Assessment for each individual school. In November 2016, Brian was elected State Representative of the 64th House District in Connecticut. He graduated from Northwestern CT Community College, receiving an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice.
Isabella Pinto – NCCC student
Isabella was homeschooled through high school and is currently a student in the Liberal Arts Program at Northwestern Community College. In 2008, when Isabella was eight years old, she started her own Children’s Right to Vote Committee to advocate for the rights of minors so their voices could be heard through youth elections. In 2018, she was a legislative intern with the Connecticut General Assembly.
Olivia Pinto – NCCC student
Olivia, 19, is a homeschool high school student, as well as a member of the Northwestern Community College High School Partnership Program. She belongs to the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Mike Galitello, a U.S. Army veteran and Torrington author, who needed a ghostwriter for his new book, hired Olivia. “Just Us” has been published and is for sale locally and online. The proceeds from sales of the book are donated to local veterans.
Lisselot Rodriguez – 2017 NCCC graduate attending Central CT State University
Lisselot wants to advocate for her community by promoting social services in the town of Torrington to low-income families and other populations at risk. She is an active volunteer for the Connecticut Food Mobile Pantry, which distributes fresh produce once a month in the community of Winchester and in nearby towns. Lisselot was part of Northwestern Connecticut Community College and Team Success Scholars for three years. She graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts and Science in May 2017. Her goal is to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Central Connecticut State University.
Jessica Tessman – 2017 NCCC graduate attending Central CT State University
Jessica is a first-generation college student who received an Associate’s Degree in Human Services from Northwestern Connecticut Community College in May 2017. Jessica is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), with an expected graduation date of May 2020. She enjoys helping others and is excited about starting her career in the social work field. Her goal is to work with food-insecure populations and to provide empowerment, both internationally and locally.
Crystal Wiggins – NCCC math faculty
Crystal started teaching at the college level when she was just 23. During her first year alone, she received a Merit Award for developing new techniques in teaching statistics and developing a curriculum for transitional math. In 2017, Crystal developed a Medical Math course to help nursing students better prepare for their intensive dosage calculation exams. She volunteers as a tutor at the Academic Success Center. Crystal attended Central Connecticut State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree in Mathematics.