Middlesex Community College: Alumna Returns To MCC To Work As Lowell Campus Police Officer

Press release from the Middlesex Community College:

Caitlin Buckley

3/31/2021

Middlesex Community College welcomed a new police officer to the Lowell campus. An alumna of MCC’s Dental Hygiene program, Officer Andeth Vann is an Air Force Veteran who is excited to be coming back to Middlesex to engage with students and the community. As Officer French on the Bedford campus is also an alum, now both of MCC’s officers are alumni.

Born and raised in Lowell, Vann was looking for a steadier job and income to support her family. After seeing dental hygiene on a list of most lucrative jobs in a struggling economy, she started researching programs. Middlesex stood out with a strong curriculum, opportunities for clinical experiences, and the convenience of being close to home.

“I went into dental hygiene and it was life changing,” she said. “I was able to secure not only a career, but having it be such a lucrative profession – especially at a time when there was economic stress – afforded me opportunities. I was able to buy my home only a year after. I was able to work and meet with different dental offices and get experience.”

When Vann called Middlesex for more information, an employee welcomed her with service she came to expect from the college. Having opted to go into the military instead of college after graduating from high school, Vann did not know how to go about the application process. The guidance and encouragement she received comforted her as she started her new path.

“He set the tone for the rest of my time at Middlesex,” she said. “I can’t ever remember a time where I sought out help and didn’t get it. If the person didn’t know the answer right away, they were always helpful in directing me where to get it. It’s a great, close knit community.”

Vann graduated from Middlesex in 2012 after completing two years of prerequisite courses and the Dental Hygiene program. She went on to temp at various dental offices, getting the chance to work with different doctors and practices. Soon after, she started at a practice where she still works on Saturdays for a dedicated following of patients.

MCC’s Dental Hygiene program – and Vann’s experience working in the industry – helped her as she transitioned into her new career as a police officer. Being one-on-one with patients honed her customer service skills and taught her how to build stronger connections with people. Now as an officer in the community – although often under higher pressure situations – she knows how to interact with the public to “be able to have that relationship in a moment’s time.”

Although Vann had considered working as a police officer in the past, it was never the right time for her to commit. Her friends and family ¬– including a friend who is a lieutenant – kept encouraging her to take the civil service exam and enter the police academy.

Vann did so at age 39 – keeping up with the twenty-somethings around her – and went on to finish as class president. At the graduation ceremony, Vann addressed the crowd full of her family and classmates and made sure to take a moment for herself to appreciate the work she had put in to get to that moment.

“I remember thinking, remember this moment because everything came full circle – all the struggling, the crying, the body aches,” she said. “Now to be able to serve my community again in a different realm; it’s an honorable thing to be able to give back to a community that has given me so much. It allowed me as an immigrant child to make dreams possible.”

Vann believes she was able to achieve her dreams because of the work she put in to become both a dental hygienist and police officer. As she returns to MCC’s campus, she has the opportunity to inspire students with her story. Understanding that she has had a unique career pathway from dental hygienist to police officer, Vann wants students to know they have many options available to them and can pursue whatever job that interests them. She also emphasizes the importance of being able to make an impact on the community.

“What I hope to be able to convey to students is where we come from does not necessarily dictate where we can go,” she said. “If I – looking back – allowed for my past and my story to hinder me, I would never be here. Even though there were times of immense self-doubt, it really is a turn in your own thinking. When your heart takes over, it really overturns what your mind tells you. In my heart of hearts, it can be possible.”

As a student at Middlesex, Vann was busy balancing her coursework with her responsibilities as a mother and adult and was unable to participate in clubs or campus events. As an officer on campus, she has the chance to dive more into the MCC community, including participating in activities held at the Asian American Connections Center or Veterans Resource Center.

Vann is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree from UMass Lowell – and while she enjoys the experience – she wants to emphasize the value MCC offers as a community college. At Middlesex, Vann believes students can “reap the benefits” – from the ability to develop interpersonal relationships with other students, faculty and staff, to being able to engage with a smaller, diverse community.

“It’s a phenomenal experience, not just in the Dental Hygiene program, but at MCC altogether,” she said. “I’m ecstatic to be able to come back full circle and walk the grounds again of the campus at MCC and see some familiar faces. It’s been an interesting journey.”

Visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/dhdepartment/ for more information about MCC’s Dental Hygiene program, or contact Karen Townsend, MCC’s Director of Dental Hygiene, at townsendk@middlesex.mass.edu or 978-656-3045.

MCC is celebrating 50 years! If you have ever taken a class at MCC, you are an alum! To share your story – and join in on the 50th anniversary celebrations – contact Amy Lee, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, at 978-656-3028 or leea@middlesex.mass.edu. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/alumni/ for more information and to join the Alumni Association.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in online education for more than 20 years. We educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners, offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!

This press release was produced by the Middlesex Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.