Middlesex Community College: MCC Certificate Program Helped Alumna Turn Hobby Into Career

Press release from the Middlesex Community College:

Caitlin Buckley

4/8/2021

With a certificate from Middlesex Community College, Geovana Carvalho is establishing a new career. Carvalho enrolled in Middlesex’s Digital Photography certificate as part of the college’s Community Education and Training (CET) program. For her, education is a stepping stone to building her photography business.

“I believe that knowledge is the best investment you can make,” she said. “You will see that it is way more than taking good images and getting a certificate – it will give you the tools that you need to accomplish your goals.”

From Brazil, Carvalho now lives in Lowell. Middlesex was her first experience with education in the United States. Although she had not anticipated taking the certificate classes online, she believes the class and her instructors “made the best out of the circumstances.”

“I am really happy that I took the step to enroll in classes,” Carvalho said. “I wanted to take an activity that I enjoyed doing from a hobby to a possible career. I was able to learn and take advantage of it.”

Her instructor for Photography I and II Tory Wesnofske was of particular help in making the adjustment to online learning, according to Carvalho. By building a connection with the class, Carvalho believes Wesnofske “went above and beyond” to share knowledge and make the class feel comfortable.

In this welcoming online environment Carvalho was able to enjoy sharing a common hobby with people from different backgrounds. She also learned about all of the various opportunities that were open to her with a certificate and the knowledge it provided.

“It definitely boosted my confidence,” she said. “It showed me that I can achieve my goals if I put the work into it. It gave me networking opportunities and resources to build a business out of a passion. My company’s roots began with a hobby that I loved. It’s a local business inspired by my community.”

Having lived in Lowell for 20 years – with children of her own – she understands the challenges the past year has presented for everyone and wants to do her part to help a population who has had to miss out on a lot of milestones because of the pandemic.

After completing MCC’s certificate, Carvalho used her new photography business to give back to her community. Partnering with Coalition for a Better Acre (CBA), she took free portraits for seniors in high school throughout Lowell.

“Students have missed so many special moments because of the pandemic and I have seen so many people in my community struggling to get the basics,” she said. “I really wanted to give back to my community and CBA really embraced my idea and is helping me to connect with the kids that really need and can take advantage of the opportunity.”

Through the certificate, Carvalho learned the importance of staying consistent and challenging herself. While the pandemic has brought unexpected obstacles, she also believes it has created new opportunities for her. Using her new photography skills, she has enjoyed being able to record this unprecedented time.

“With photography, nothing has really changed,” she said. “People will always want to make memories and remember them. For me to be able to document a little bit of it is a gift in the middle of all the craziness.”

MCC’s CET programs provide academic, professional and personal enrichment for students of all ages and stages in their lives. For more information about CET’s certificate programs and noncredit courses, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/careertraining/or contact Sheila Morin at morins@middlesex.mass.edu or 781-280-3608.

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.