6 More Five College Alums Who Call Western MA Home
During commencement and reunion season at the five colleges in western Massachusetts, we’re reminded just how many students have called our region home for even a few years. We know that those few years at school in western Massachusetts are special for many, but our local alums confirm that getting to stay or return is something else entirely. Last year we reflected on some of the alums who shape our local food scene but here’s a few more who are running creative businesses from body modification shops to homemade ice cream parlors.
Beehive Sewing Studio, Northampton
Owner: Tess Poe
Alma Maters: Mount Holyoke College, UMass Amherst
For Tess Poe as a first generation college student from Long Island, NY, “the opportunity to go to Mount Holyoke was sort of like jumping into a movie set.” She says, “It was just this incredible quintessential college campus, and none of us could believe I was really there.” She’s not only an alum of Mount Holyoke but also the University of Massachusetts where she received a graduate degree.
What It’s Like: Beehive Sewing opened in 2012 as the region’s first drop-in sewing studio and textile makerspace in downtown Northampton. The studio provides affordable and flexible access to sewing machines, tools and workspace for hobbyists, makers and visitors in an accessible retail storefront. There’s also an incredible lineup of workshops as well as project kits available on a drop-in basis.
Owner: Nick Seamon
Alma Mater: Hampshire College
"When I first drove here from New York in the fall of 1974 for a visit and saw farmland as far as I could see, I knew I was home." After graduating from Hampshire in 1979, Nick spent 5 years in "exile" in New Haven, CT before returning to western Massachusetts with his wife Barbara Kline Seamon (Hampshire '72) to buy a farm in Leverett and raise their four children.
What It's Like: The Black Sheep is a funky, New York-style deli and bakery with a European twist that makes and bakes everything it sells from scratch. Since opening in 1986, it has developed over time to be the community center for downtown Amherst, featuring open mics, jazz nights and more.
Owner: Kate Glynn
Alma mater: Smith College
“I love Northampton and I got stuck here in the best way possible after Smith,” Kate says. She always thought that she’d open a children’s book store when she retired, but working at A Child’s Garden during her senior year at Smith opened that chapter of her life even sooner. Now she’s owned the store for ten years. “I feel incredibly lucky to have a retail store in a community that truly understands the importance of supporting our local businesses just as the businesses understand how important it is to support the community as well."
What It’s Like: A Child’s Garden is not your average children’s store. You won’t find toys with screens that light up or make noise but rather a finely curated selection of simple classics from wooden toys and children’s books to cloth diapers and slings and wraps. A big focus of the store is education from making sure that families feel that cloth diapers are not as intimidating as they can appear, to teaching parents how to use the wraps and slings to carry their children and hosting community drop-in hours for sling help, to matching the perfect gift that is developmentally appropriate for your special child.
Owner: Penelope Silverstein
Alma Mater: Hampshire College
Penelope moved to western Massachusetts in 1994 from Long Island, NY to attend Hampshire College and has pretty much never looked back. “I loved it here so much that whenever I left to live in other locations around the country or state, I always returned back to the Valley, as it has become my home.”
What It’s Like: Haven Body Arts opened in 2009 at first as a piercing and high-end body jewelry store. Since then the shop has expanded to offer tattooing, branding and scarification. Silverstein’s been piercing in western Massachusetts for over 20 years and is now joined at Haven by other progressive and award winning body modification artists.
Herrell’s Ice Cream, Northampton
Owner: Judy Herrell
Alma Maters: Hampshire College, UMass Amherst
Judy Herrell grew up in New Jersey just outside the city and spent a lot of time in rural Pennsylvania with family. It was the urban-rural appeal of western Massachusetts that drew her to Hampshire College in 1980, and has kept her here since graduating. Within a few years of graduation, she received a Masters of Education from UMass Amherst and became part of the Herrell’s Ice Cream family and business. “I don’t think I’ll ever leave,” Judy said. “There’s something in my soul about this place.”
What It’s Like: Alums of the five colleges are no strangers to Herrell’s Ice Cream, founded in 1980 by Steve Herrell. Recently Herrell’s surpassed its goal of having 366 flavors, one for every day of the year, and now boasts 374 homemade flavors. “I was interested in making things—I’m a science geek by nature,” Judy says. “The idea of playing with my food was fascinating.” This summer Herrell’s will see an expansion of its kitchen allowing for more flavor experimentation and production of additional baked goods.
Mt. Tom’s Homemade Ice Cream, Easthampton
Owner: Jim Ingram
Alma Mater: UMass Amherst
Jim fondly remembers skiing at Mt. Tom and venturing into Northampton when he needed to get off campus. “I remember being sad to leave this beautiful area because not only was a fun four years of my life over, but I would have to say goodbye to this pristine rural paradise.” After 15 years in tech manufacturing (he received an engineering degree from UMass), the universe aligned and Jim was able to do what he thought was impossible when he graduated—to be able to work and live in picturesque western Massachusetts.
What It’s Like: Now Jim has one of the most delicious jobs. As owner of Mt. Tom’s Homemade Ice Cream, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and candy store in the heart of Easthampton’s Cottage Street Cultural District, you can find Jim in the back room kitchen nearly every day whipping up his latest creation. Along with the old standbys like vanilla, chocolate chip cookie dough, and butter pecan, Jim is constantly trying new things. How about caramel ice cream or lavender or his own version of rocky road with mini dark M&M’s?
And just a few others...
Bueno Y Sano, Amherst, Holyoke, Northampton, Springfield & West Springfield
Owner: Bob Lowry
Alma Mater: UMass Amherst
Folcwald Gallery of Sculptural Art, Amherst
Owner: Deb Foucault
Alma Mater: Mount Holyoke
Jackson and Connor, Northampton
Owner: Will Brideau
Alma Mater: Hampshire College
Joe’s Café, Northampton
Owner: Meg Sullivan
Alma Mater: Amherst College
The Toy Box, Amherst
Owner: Liz Rosenberg
Alma Mater: UMass Amherst