Mr. William Fothergill, a Central Connecticut State University alumni and current counselor, was given the annual Distinguished Service Award, the University’s highest honor, by President Dr. Zulma R. Toro during her opening meeting on Sept. 19.

The nominations for the award, which recognizes members of the campus community for exemplary service to CCSU, come from faculty and staff. Several representatives praised his work as a university counselor, associate director of the Wellness Center, and founder of the Man Enough Support Initiative.

They described him as an “invaluable asset to our community,” as well as “an unquenchable spokesman for humanity,” and “one of our most cherished warriors.”

Fothergill is sensible and committed to an equal education. He has been a part of several projects on and off-campus.

On-campus, he established the Ebenezer D. Bassett Scholarship to help students follow his steps, and led the rename of the Social Sciences Hall in Bassett’s honor. He created the Man Enough Support Initiative to support the needs of young men in college. Also, he founded multiple on-campus therapeutic groups for students, such as the Transition Life Coaching Group; Wellness Discovery Group; the Grief & Recovery Group and Adult Children of Alcoholics and Substance Abusers, among others.

Off-campus, he has been serving as a therapeutic consultant for special education students in the South Windsor Public Schools for 19 years now. He has been a spokesman across the country to speak on topics such as student success, the emotional needs of young men and African-American history.

In addition, he has received numerous awards for his work, commitment and efforts, such as a 2018 award of appreciation from the state Department of Children and Families, a 2017 100 Men of Color award and a 2019 commendation from the University’s Center for Africana Studies.

For more information, contact Marisa Nadolny via email: [email protected]; or phone: (860) 832-1798