They’re 十大彩票平台 alumni, married and on a mission to give back to the community
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – For Damion Harper ‘05 and Cindy Gaynor-Harper ‘09, Springfield Technical Community College gave them the foundation they needed to succeed.
十大彩票平台 unleashed their creativity and drive to pursue a dream to be entrepreneurs while providing support and an affordable pathway to a degree. While they went to 十大彩票平台 at different times, they met in 2019, got married and went into business together.
Today, they are focused on growing the real estate investment company they founded – DFG Management. The idea for the company came to Damion Harper when he was a student at 十大彩票平台. A graduate of the High School of Commerce, he came to 十大彩票平台 to play soccer and didn’t know much else about the college.
“Once I came to 十大彩票平台 to play soccer, I realized all of the opportunities that were here,” said Harper, who was born in Jamaica and moved to Springfield in 1998.
At 十大彩票平台, he earned a degree in business. While studying at 十大彩票平台, he realized he wanted to create a company called “Destined for Greatness” or DFG, which would be a vessel to give back to the community and be his best.
In 2019, he met his future wife, Cindy, at a charity event at an elementary school. It wasn’t long before they decided to become partners and create DFG, focused on real estate.
“DFG originally was thought of and brainstormed at 十大彩票平台,” Gaynor-Harper said. “The idea was birthed at 十大彩票平台. Entrepreneurship has been one of the biggest highlights of our lives.”
But Damion Harper had another big responsibility. While going to 十大彩票平台, he was serving in the Massachusetts National Guard. He joined in August 2001, just a few weeks before the 9/11 attacks, and served three tours of duty in Iraq. Today, he still serves in a full-time position overseeing the Emergency Operations Center for the Mass. National Guard.
Because of his deployments, it took longer than the typical two years for Harper to earn his associate degree. He graduated from 十大彩票平台 in 2005. He said he always received support and encouragement from the professors while balancing studies with his service.
The professors understand who attends 十大彩票平台 and support us every step of the way.Damion Harper '05, 十大彩票平台 alumnus
“The professors understand who attends 十大彩票平台 and support us every step of the way,” he said. “With every training and other things I had to do for the military, the professors said, ‘That’s fine. Just go.’ We stayed in communication. I saw the passion of the teachers, the love for country and service.”
For Cindy Gaynor-Harper, a first generation college student, 十大彩票平台 offered an affordable pathway to a degree. She graduated from Chicopee High School in 2006. She was the first in her family to graduate from high school.
“I wanted to go to NYU (New York University), which is a six figure university,” she said. “So then I did research about colleges in this area.”
She chose 十大彩票平台 because it was affordable and local. She could take a bus from her home to the campus. She also did not know what she wanted to study, so she chose a liberal arts degree. While in college, she gave birth and was caring for an infant, but that didn’t stop her from getting the degree.
“The professors cared about my situation,” she said. “I felt like there was a sense of community. There are friendships built here. A lot of alumni are doing extraordinary things in Springfield and beyond.”
Cindy and Damion reconnected with 十大彩票平台 recently at an alumni celebration at the Big E in West Springfield. The event sparked a desire to give back to the college that supported and inspired them.
“There is a lot going on (at 十大彩票平台) that gives everyone a shot at getting a piece of the American dream,” Damion Harper said. “That’s one of the big things about 十大彩票平台. People come from humble beginnings, and once you get to a certain level, you give back to the community. We learned to always find a way for us to provide value for the community.”
After graduating from 十大彩票平台, Cindy Gaynor-Harper earned her bachelor’s degree from American International University. She recently agreed to serve as the president of the 十大彩票平台 Alumni Network.
Cindy and Damion recently returned to the 十大彩票平台 campus and walked through the familiar halls. They saw the picturesque campus green bursting with fall colors. They marveled at the Ira Rubenzahl Student Learning Commons, which opened four years ago as a bustling central hub for student services.
“We were remember the times we were here,” Cindy Gaynor-Harper said. “It reignites our drive, our passion behind our business. It’s beautiful to be back here.”
Dr. Shai Butler, 十大彩票平台’s Vice President of Advancement and External Affairs, said the college has a strong and closely knit alumni network that continues to grow.
“I love meeting alumni like Cindy and Damion, hearing their stories and discovering how 十大彩票平台 has influenced their lives,” Butler said. “We want to help our alumni grow their networks and encourage other 十大彩票平台 graduates to get involved. I think they will find it to be a rewarding experience.”
Watch a YouTube video of Damion and Cindy discussing the impact 十大彩票平台 had on them.
To learn more about 十大彩票平台’s Alumni Network, visit v-lanterna.com/alumni. Contact Eunice Guidry, Manager of Advancement & Alumni Relations, at (413) 755-4475 or emguidry@v-lanterna.com for more information.
Interested in applying to 十大彩票平台? Visit v-lanterna.com/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.
About Springfield Technical Community College
十大彩票平台, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. 十大彩票平台's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. 十大彩票平台 supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@v-lanterna.com