Bethel resident receives full ride at WCSU

NVCC grad awarded prestigious President-to-President Scholarship

Bethel resident Sue Ellen Landwehr (center) accepts the President-to-President Scholarship from NVCC President Richard L. Sanders (left) and James W. Schmotter, president of Western Connecticut State University (right). The scholarship is based on academic achievement and covers full tuition for the final two years at a four-year Connecticut State University campus. Landwehr graduated May 25 from NVCC and will go on to study at WCSU.

WATERBURY (May 25, 2006) — Sue Ellen Landwehr has worked as a federal corrections officer, in substance abuse treatment and recovery, and even as a standup comic.

Now the Bethel resident is a legal assistant at the Greater Danbury Legal Center. Today, May 25, she will graduate with an associate degree in legal studies from Naugatuck Valley Community College.

At the commencement ceremonies tonight, she will receive a prestigious President-to-President Scholarship from NVCC President Richard L. Sanders and James W. Schmotter, president of Western Connecticut State University. The scholarship is based on academic achievement and covers full tuition for the final two years at a four-year Connecticut State University campus.

For Landwehr, that means transferring to Western Connecticut State University in Danbury to study justice and law administration with an emphasis on juvenile programs.

“My passion is youth,” she said. “They need help with prevention, choices and treatment. I think we need to have a better connection with our youth today to help them make the right choices before they get into trouble.”

Landwehr attended Southern Connecticut State University for one year in 1985 before getting married and starting a family. She resumed her studies in 1998 and started at NVCC in fall 2004 with just one class. Despite an illness that tempted her to withdraw, she continued on, taking her first full-time semester in the fall of 2005 and taking six classes in the spring of 2006 in order to graduate.

This year, Landwehr was inducted into Alpha Beta Gamma, the international honor society for business studies within two-year colleges, the legal honors society Lamba Epsilon Chi, and the two-year college international honor society Phi Theta Kappa this year. She was also very involved with the Legal Assistant Club on campus and participated in a training program for Guardian Ad Litem, a program that provides court-appointed legal assistance for children in state custody.

“My favorite saying is, ‘Don’t quit five minutes before the miracle,’” she said. “I am so honored to receive this award. I couldn’t have done it without the tremendous support of my family. I am very blessed.”

Two President-to-President Scholarships were awarded to NVCC graduates at Thursday’s commencement ceremonies. The other was awarded to Ryan Reardon, who will attend Central Connecticut State University.

More than 500 NVCC students will be awarded associate degrees and certificates during the today’s commencement ceremonies, which will begin at 6 p.m. in Parking Lot C at Kinney Hall on the college’s main campus, located at 750 Chase Parkway.

NVCC serves 35 communities across western Connecticut from Litchfield to Waterbury to Seymour to Southbury and Danbury. Its 110-acre, main campus is located off exit 18 on Interstate 84.