Northampton Community College alumni are putting their talents and education to work in many interesting ways:

Richard Patricia, a graduate of NCC's Radio/TV program, has directed and produced a film called “Strive For Happiness," to raise awareness of mental illness. Through the documentary he hopes to remove some of the stigmas that still exist about mental illness and to effect change in public policy that affect individuals with mental illness and their families. As someone who grew up in a household with a loved one who suffered from some serious forms of mental illness, Patricia wants the film to catch the attention of people who know or live with people with similar conditions. To find out more about his film or to purchase a copy, visit www.striveforhappiness.com.

Anne Coleman, a member of the first culinary arts class at NCC, blogs about food at www.cookingwithanne.com. She also has blogged for the Walt Disney Internet Group at Family.Com. You can get her take on food - and read a funny story about how she chose her major - in the "About" section of her blog.

While you're online, check out the interview with NCC grad Doug Boehm at LCS: The Illustration News Portal. Doug is a graduate of NCC's communication design program. His work has been published in magazines such as Time, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone. He also creates art that is included in collections in Australia, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. His future goals may surprise you. Get the scoop and see some of his fanciful illustrations at LCS.

And then there's Marisa DeJesus Paolicelli. Paolicelli studied secretarial science at NCC. This spring a book she wrote titled "There's a Coqui in My Shoe" was named the Best Educational Children's Book in English at the 10th Annual International Latino Book Awards. She will be signing books at Borders in Whitehall in September.

Fall will also be an exciting time for Nicos Elias. A graduate of NCC's funeral service program, Elias is also an entrepreneur. He recently purchased the historic General Trexler estate at 1227 Hamilton Street in Allentown. He and his family are renovating it so he can open his own funeral home there soon. The business is expected to be the first totally new funeral home to open in the Lehigh Valley in the last 20+ years.

To read more about Northampton Community College graduates like these, browse the alumni e-newsletter.