Alumni Success Stories

We welcome you to read about the journeys of our MCC alums and how MCC helped them on their paths to further education and careers.

 

Alicia Gentile PhotoAlicia Gentile '16

As a Dual Enrollment student, Gentile appreciated Middlesex Community College’s small class sizes and opportunities for growth. Having received flexible course options, supportive advisors and professors, and a strong foundation of knowledge and experience, Middlesex put her on track to help her in her pursuit of a bachelor’s degree and a career as a nurse.

“My overall experience at MCC was amazing and really shaped who I am today,” she said. “I always loved learning before I got to MCC, but MCC helped me cultivate that love and channel it into action. I felt confident because of MCC and I feel as though I was able to create a solid path for myself.”

From Groton, Gentile was a Liberal Arts & Sciences major at MCC who worked as a Supplemental Instructor in Anatomy and Physiology. As a Dual Enrollment student, Gentile took college-level courses starting in high school. Working towards her high school diploma while earning college credit helped her gain college experience and further challenged her academic abilities in a positive way.

A commencement speaker at her graduation from Middlesex in May 2016, she transferred to the University of San Francisco to receive a bachelor’s degree in Nursing with a minor in General Business.

“I’m grateful to have felt confident leaving Middlesex,” she said. “I was confident in my ability to take on difficult classes, and I was confident in the foundation MCC provided me.”


Joshua Moreaux PhotoJoshua Moreaux '13

Middlesex Community College alum Joshua Moreaux is a United States Air Force veteran who was looking to go back to school to get a degree in the sciences. With benefits from the GI Bill, he was able to start at Middlesex and flourished on his new path. Though he had not known much about biotechnology before, his professor Dr. Mariluci Bladon talked to him about the benefits of working in the industry.

“I really fell in love with it – the teachers, the hands-on activities, everything was just phenomenal,” he said. “I really just threw my whole self into my studies and got involved with the PDA (Parental Drug Association). Anytime we had to do displays for people to come and see, I was involved in all of those things. I immersed myself into the entire program.”

After graduating from MCC in 2013, he continued on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Boston University and started work at a pharmaceutical company that is now Takeda. His time at MCC prepared Moreaux to go to school and work in the field despite a grueling schedule that included working from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., then heading to classes until 9 p.m. It was a lot to balance at once, but he kept reminding himself to “focus on what’s right in front of me.” MCC was his perfect starting point, as the biotech program offered him both foundational knowledge and high-quality practical experience.


Rachel Twerefour PhotoRachel Twerefour '20

Rachel Twerefour came to Middlesex Community College to start working in the healthcare industry as soon as she could. Having graduated with a bachelor’s degree from UMass Lowell, she chose MCC’s Community Education and Training’s (CET) Nurse Assistant certificate program to gain patient care experience before applying for medical school.

“MCC’s certificate programs allow individuals to take courses that will help their professional career in a very timely manner at an affordable cost,” she said. “MCC’s Nurse Assistant program prepared me for the future by teaching me the core values and skills that are needed to be the best healthcare professional I can be.”

Having completed the certificate program, she can now work in the healthcare field while she pursues advanced degrees. After finishing the program in September 2020, Twerefour was hired by Lowell General Hospital as an Emergency Room Technician.


Diana DiZoglioDiana DiZoglio’08

Mass. State Senator Credits Education from MCC as Her “Start”

“Community college was for me what it is for so many other people – a way to get started,” Senator DiZoglio said. “A way to make a positive change. A way to step it up. It’s the open door to further opportunity.”

Full Article on Diana DiZoglio


Carla RojoCarla Rojo’16

Emmy Award-Winning Weather Anchor & Reporter Started at MCC

When first starting college, Carla Rojo felt lost, overwhelmed and unsure of her path. “This is when I decided I needed to be part of something,” she said. “I walked into Middlesex Community College’s Chair of the Performing Arts Karen Oster’s office, and the rest is history.”

Full Article on Carla Rojo


Stephen DenigerStephen Deninger’21

Recent Graduate Fulfills Long-term Goal at Middlesex CC

 “MCC’s Paralegal Studies Certificate program helped me to adapt and develop my existing skills for legal work while also giving me the knowledge and skillset necessary to succeed in a legal environment,” he said. “All of the skills that I learned in class have been directly applicable to the work I’m now doing as a paralegal at a law firm.”

Full Article on Stephen Deninger



If you have an alumni story to share, please contact Barbara Maglio, Interim Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations at Magliob@middlesex.mass.edu.

Last Modified: 8/4/23