2020 Graduate Finds a Home at MCC

Altagracia Sanchez is part of Middlesex Community College’s 2020 graduating class. She came to Middlesex because of its affordability and proximity to home, she stayed because it became another kind of home.

“There are so many people from all over the world that there is no chance someone could feel like an outsider,” she said. “Diversity is intrinsic to MCC, it is obvious with the diverse staff and student population here.”

As an adult-learner and mother, Sanchez juggled school with other responsibilities, including working part-time. She especially appreciated the flexibility of online learning, calling online classes a “huge advantage for many non-traditional students like me.”

Her initial plan at the college was to learn English in order to get a job. Once classes started and she became more involved on campus, her mindset changed.

“If I wanted my kids to be successful in a foreign country, I needed to be a role model for them,” she said. “MCC gave me the tools to be up-to-date with my profession.”

Sanchez began her journey at MCC with the Prepare to Attend College (PAC) free non-credit program because she didn’t speak English. After taking basic English classes, she took a break for a semester before registering for college-level courses.

She only scored one point below the necessary score for English 101, but instead of re-taking the test, Sanchez registered for the Academic English for Bilingual Students and Grammar and Editing courses on the recommendation of MCC Professor Willy Ramirez, who has a program for advising Latino students.

The Academic English for Bilingual Students course was taught by Professor Anahit Shahinian who became a mentor for Sanchez – through her guidance and confidence in her. Sanchez says Shahinian was part of all of her accomplishments at the college.

“I am afraid that my words might not be enough to express what she means to me,” Sanchez said. “I am completely sure that my story would have been very different without her. Professor Shahinian wants everyone that crosses paths with her to be successful.”

After Sanchez finished her first courses, Shahinian recommended her as an English Language Learner tutor. Sanchez found support and friendships during her time at the MCC Academic Center for Enrichment (ACE). She calls her experience with ACE and as a tutor “game-changing” because of her passion for helping people.

“Working at the ACE department gave me something that I didn’t have,” she said.” It gave me a sense of belonging. I felt at home. At ACE, I grew up personally and professionally, and had the honor of meeting marvelous people which I am grateful for.”

For Sanchez, going from an ELL student to an ELL tutor was key to her success and pushed her further. She went on to become a writing tutor, Supplement Instructor (SI) Leader, and an accounting tutor for the math department. These opportunities allowed her to be an active member of the MCC community – on- and off-campus.

As an MCC SI Leader, Sanchez participated in conferences around the area, including running a workshop at the Northeast Regional Conference for SI leaders in March 2019 and sitting on a panel at the 4th Annual Symposium on Teaching and Learning, Challenging Language Inequities in Education at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center in April 2019. She has also participated on a panel at the Teaching Multilingual College Students conference in a collaboration between Middlesex and UMass Lowell.

Representing the ACE Department, Sanchez attended CareerCon events on both the Bedford and Lowell campuses where she met with students, MCC staff members and potential employers.

She has participated in La Guagua reading groups – once as a moderator – and in Latinos Unidos.

In addition to Shahinian and Ramirez, Sanchez credits Professor Vikram Sharma, Virginia Drislane, Noreen McGinness Olson and Mari Sapina-Kerkhove for helping her succeed.

“I would like to express my gratitude to all faculty and staff for the help they provide to all students and for their unconditional encouragement,” she said. “MCC counts on wonderful people who are committed to do their best. Thank you for the extraordinary support throughout the arduous path towards your students’ success.”

Sanchez graduates as a Business Administration-Accounting major. She received the Outstanding Achievement in Associate in Science, Business Administration Accounting Program Award, as well as the W. Brian Van Lierop English Language Learners Prize for her achievements.

With a bachelor’s degree from the Dominican Republic, Sanchez will attend UMass Lowell’s Manning School of Business for an MBA.

“Graduating feels very good,” she said. “It means that immigrants like me – not so young woman, mother of two boys – can have dreams, but despite all adversities, if we persevere and work hard, we can achieve those dreams.”

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!