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Posts published in “Profiles”

Student Stories

Learn about some of our fellow students

Dylan Quigley

By Jayden Hooper
Observer Contributor

Dylan Quigley, age 21, a Liberal Arts major at MWCC focusing on Professional Writing, said that music has impacted and shaped some of his memories.

Quigley spoke of how he enjoys listening to Nirvana’s album In Utero as it brings forth feelings of nostalgia and reminds him of how, in his first car, he owned that CD and it had gotten stuck in the CD player. He said that he had no choice but to listen to it until he got a new car.

Quigley also said that his father and brother’s taste in music influenced his own. He humorously reminisced about how his brother put him to sleep with tracks by Rage Against the Machine, a band known for their hard rock and metal songs. read more

Life is a Balancing Act

A student’s perspective on juggling work, school, and family

By Brandon Feliz
Observer Contributor

As the school year continues, some students find it difficult to juggle schoolwork, social life, at-home responsibilities, and work at the same time. Time management becomes a major factor in order to succeed, but time management is a skill that is not taught in school.

For some of the students here at Mount Wachusett Community College, having no time even with time management skills on their side is a harsh reality. Take the life of 20-year-old Tatiana Martinez. Martinez is a nursing student who works as a receptionist with a steady income. Before reaching this point in life, however, she was a student who worked a total of four jobs in order to support herself and her loved ones. read more

Running Down a Dream

Profile: Ryan Lyesiuk

By Brandon Feliz
Observer Contributor

Ryan Lyesiuk, 40, is an avid marathon runner. Rather than running for better health, Lyesiuk runs for pure enjoyment. It all started at a young age, he says, running in the summer with his brother as his brother trained for the upcoming football season. From then on it slowly became a major part of his life.

Photo by Vanessa Roberto
Ryan Lyesiuk

After a break during the college years from age 20 to 25, Lyesiuk started running competitively at the age of 30. The 2011 Manchester City Marathon was his first marathon. read more

Lights, Camera, Action

Profile: Hannah Bennett

By Maya Douglas
Observer Contributor

Hannah Bennett, 18, of Phillipston, works as a media assistant at Templeton Community TV (TCTV). Bennett’s dream is to become a professional screenwriter. Working for TCTV is good hands on experience towards her goal.

Photo by Vanessa Roberto
Hannah Bennett

“The best way to get into the industry is to already be in it,” Bennett said.

The role of Media Assistant encompasses every aspect of working for a cable channel: editor, creator, and filmer. Bennett also assists in keeping the YouTube channel active. Bennett works as a camera person and she also edits film. She’s in charge of cutting out mistakes and putting in transitions to ensure the smoothness of the broadcast. She has also interviewed people from town officials to civil war reenactors. read more

Become Your Own Boss

Business professor shares tips for aspiring entrepreneurs

By Ryan Lyesiuk
Observer Contributor

Many students dream of becoming entrepreneurs someday, but for numerous reasons they choose not to follow this dream. Whether it’s from fear or lack of confidence, the decision not to follow your passion and become an entrepreneur is a mistake students make, according to Nicholas Cochrane, Assistant Professor of Business and Management.

There are many excellent benefits to being an entrepreneur, according to Cochrane. “It’s great to be your own boss,” and “It allows you to create your own schedule,” he said. Cochrane says building your own schedule is an enormous benefit to working for yourself, especially as a busy college student. read more

Getting Down to Business

Business society prepares students for the corporate world

By Alyssa Gammel
Observer Contributor

The Alpha Beta Gamma Business Honors Society is a selective group or exclusively business majors.

“Students must keep their GPA at 3.0 or higher with 15 credited hours within the school,” said club president Alicia Hatch. ABG is also connected to the Chamber of Commerce which means that members can go to different networking expos.

Image Courtesy of MWCC
The ABG as of their induction ceremony in April, 2018

The induction process includes lunch with a guest speaker, certificates and pins being handed out, and each new member must recite a quote. According to Hatch, members will always have a connection to ABG, even after they graduate. Past, present, and future members are always invited to events held by the group. read more

The Drive to Succeed

Profile: Eric Howell

By Kristopher Madden
Observer Contributor

Photo by Vanessa Roberto
Eric Howell

Working at Speedway in New Ipswich, Eric Howell has a lot of time to think about his passion – cars. He’s not sure what he wants to do with them, but Howell knows his future is in the automotive industry.

“I’m not really sure what I want to do, but I love working with cars,” said Howell. “I have a really good eye for design.”

Howell is pursuing his Liberal Arts degree so that he can transfer to a four year school, most likely Fitchburg State University. He comes from a long line of college graduates and feels the desire to follow in his older sister’s footsteps and go to the Mount. read more

Civil Discourse

Students discuss politics in new Civics Club

By Ryan Lyesiuk
Observer Contributor

Government and the rights and roles of citizens are some of the topics covered in the all-new, student run Civics Club.

According to Professor James Korman, who will provide guidance and support for the club members, students will “meet face-to-face with elected advisors (fellow students) – not teachers – when organizing these meetings.”

Understand United States civics is a key factor in understanding how the economic and political systems are closely connected. “Grasping knowledge in both areas is essential in order to be successful upon graduation,” Korman noted. read more

Home Alone

Student compares homeschooling and college

By Marissa Shea
Observer Contributor

Sarah (last name withheld) is nineteen and is physically attending school for the first time.

Sarah was enrolled in Connections Academy, a Commonwealth Virtual School that offers online schooling from pre-K to 12th grade. The school was founded in 2002 and has since provided “personalized learning” for students online. She was enrolled in this program for the entirety of her grade school education and was not very fond of it.

“I didn’t like it – I like being taught by a teacher and it makes school feel twice as hard when you’re self-taught,” said Sarah. As a child, Sarah’s parents helped to teach what she couldn’t teach to herself, but as she grew older they became less involved in helping with schoolwork. read more

The Triple Play

Juggling life as a student, a parent, and an employee

By Hannah Bennett
Observer Contributor

How difficult is it to take care of yourself during college?

There’s getting up on time, getting ready, eating breakfast, and the rest of the “morning routine” before school.

Setting time for any homework or projects is also a must and isn’t always easy. On top of that, a job to support yourself takes up time, energy, and focus. Together, a job and college classes are enough to fill the day, leaving little room to take care of yourself.

So what would caring for a child do to that schedule? Being a parent is a full-time job on its own. How hard must it be to be a student, employee, and a parent all at the same time? read more