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Posts published in “Profiles”

Profile: Gail Steele

By editorialteam on April 12, 2023

Theater at the Mount Director Gail Steele Emphasizes the Importance of Community in Theater Arts

By Isabelle Mascary | Editor-in-Chief

Photo courtesy of MWCC

Gail Steele has been a part of the Mount community since 1977. She grew up in Lawrence, Massachusetts and received her undergraduate degree at Bridgewater State College.

She got her master’s at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Although she has always had a love for theater arts, it isn’t where she began her journey. “I was more towards communications because I wasn’t confident that I could have a career in theater,” she explained. “So I hedged my bets to focus more on communications. But I always had my hand in theater. I’m a good organizer. That’s what running a theater is all about.” read more

Profile: Kara Roche

By editorialteam on April 12, 2023

MWCC Associate Professor of English and Speech Provides
a Lesson in Chasing Your Passions

By Elysian Alder | Assistant Editor

Photo by Kara Roche

Associate Professor of English and Speech Kara Roche has been working at the Mount since 2007, and although English and teaching are two of her greatest passions, it’s the people – the community – that fill her with so much love for the college. Reflecting back on the journey she’s had to get to this point, Roche said, “Now I get to teach my two loves here: English classes filled with poetry and Shakespeare and speech classes. How lucky am I? My road taken turned out pretty well.” read more

Sue Goldstein: Driving Force for Journalism

By editorialteam on March 10, 2023

The Mount Observer Sits Down with Its Previous Faculty Adviser

By Isabelle Mascary | Editor-in-Chief

In her twenty years at MWCC, Sue Goldstein successfully re-started the student newspaper and became a beloved professor and mentor to many students. In 2022, she retired from MWCC, but her legacy remains. As a woman of many hats and a great contributor to the college, Goldstein still teaches online courses. “I’m still teaching a few classes, such as college writing one and college writing two online.”

            It might come as a surprise to many that this popular professor didn’t even get into journalism until about 1977, and she began her teaching profession in 2003. “They were kind of two separate things. I never envisioned myself teaching,” she explained, continuing to state that she didn’t start teaching until she was in her forties. read more

Women at The Mount Profile: Ann Reynolds

By editorialteam on March 10, 2023

By Isabelle Mascary | Editor-in-Chief

Ann Reynolds is the Academic Disability Counselor and Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) advisor at the Mount. She works primarily with student-parents and students with disabilities. She also oversees the child watch program on campus. Prior to moving to the United States thirty years ago and joining the Mount Community, Reynolds lived in England. 

Before college, Reynolds was a stay-at-home mom. “I was a substitute teacher in a very past life, pre-children. I used to decorate windows in England as well.” read more

Profile: Lexi Gallagher

By editorialteam on November 8, 2022

MWCC Student Talks Photography and Pursuing College During the Pandemic

By Annabelle Kennedy | Observer Contributor

When Alexis “Lexi” Gallagher saw her mother taking pictures in middle school, she knew she wanted to do the same. What Gallagher didn’t know was it would open a lifetime love affair with photography. She grabbed her mom’s point-and-shoot camera and started taking photos. “I didn’t really understand how to use it yet, it was mostly because I saw my mom doing it, and I wanted to do the same.”

Gallagher, now 20 years old, attends Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, MA. While in high school, Lexi Gallagher, like most kids from her hometown of Jaffrey, New Hampshire, always knew she wanted to attend a 4-year college or university (and yes, she has heard plenty of jokes about her name due to the hit show Shameless). read more

Profile: Hilary Blair

By editorialteam on November 8, 2022

MWCC Vet Tech Professor Shares Her Journey From Art to Animals

By Isabelle Mascary | Assistant Editor

Once your passion meets your purpose, work no longer exists when you’re doing what you love. Meet Hilary Blair, the Mount’s new Veterinary Technician Professor who began at MWCC as an adjunct professor for two years and is now full-time.

Working as an emergency and critical care veterinary technician for the past fourteen years, Blair chose the Mount because of an opportunity to teach a subject she is passionate about. “I am deeply familiar with [the subject] just because of my profession in general as a veterinary nurse,” Blair said. read more

Profile: Annabelle Kennedy

By editorialteam on November 8, 2022

Professional Writing Major Discusses Interest in Pursuit of Being a Death Doula

By Lexi Gallagher | Observer Contributor

Lunenburg resident and Mount Wachusett professional writing student, Annabelle Kennedy, has a history with the written word and enjoys the act of writing. However, she also has a passion towards going in a different direction than most after graduating: being a death doula.

“Helping dying people and their families process emotions and help with a difficult transition really seemed to call to me,” Kennedy said. “I’ve been definitely exploring the idea of being a death doula. I started listening to a Tarot podcast about five years ago, and the woman who hosted it is a thanatologist and discussed the subject there.” From there, Kennedy found out about the death doula movement.  read more

From Alaska to the Mount

By editorialteam on October 6, 2022

Meet MWCC’s New Chemistry Professor, John Sirois

By Maddie Willigar | Editor-in-Chief

Dr. John Sirois

Assistant Chemistry Professor, Dr. John Sirois, has just begun his first semester at Mount Wachusett Community College after moving back from Alaska, where he taught the past five years.

            Originally from Massachusetts, Sirois moved away from home after completing his master’s degree. From here, he continued his education at the University of Rhode Island (URI), where he obtained his Ph.D., and Oregon State University (OSU), where he completed his post-doctoral fellowship. read more

Remembering Professor Wyman

By editorialteam on September 11, 2022

A Passionate, Devoted, and Talented Professor Who Will Be Missed by All Of MWCC

By Maddie Willigar | Editor-in-Chief

Mount Wachusett Alumnus and English Professor, David Wyman, unexpectedly passed away on August 12. His presence on campus is one many will miss, and Wyman will be remembered by those at MWCC as someone passionately devoted to his beliefs, students, and poetry.

            Regarding the news, President Vander Hooven said, “I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of David Wyman. David was an extraordinary educator, completely dedicated to his students. The Mount has lost a passionate teacher and friend. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and the many colleagues who will miss his love and friendship.” read more

Profile: Professor Zach Buscher

By editorialteam on April 19, 2020

Mount’s new professor discusses his past and plans for the future 

By Peter Edwards
Observer Contributor

New English faculty at the Mount Zach Buscher hopes to continue to improve on his developmental writing class while also expanding his reach to other core college courses as he spends more time here. 

Since becoming part of Mount Wachusett Community College’s faculty during the summer of 2019, Zach Buscher has made his presence known in the English department by creating an entirely new and intensive writing class. 

Buscher said his work so far with his MWCC students has been “very rewarding,” as he works intensively four days a week with the students in his 097 class that he created. He’s been able to work with students that weren’t quite ready for college level writing classes and by the end of the semesters he claims that “it is some of the best writing I’ve seen.” Considering Buscher has been teaching at Quinsigamond Community College for the last 11 years of his life shows how impressed he has been so far with the students at MWCC. read more