MCC Allowed Recent Grad to Pursue Dream Career

Passionate about information technology (IT) and cybersecurity, Zach Tine, of Stow, decided to return to school seven years after earning his high school diploma. Through Middlesex Community College’s Learn and Earn program, he was able to start earning an associate degree while completing a paid work experience at MCC’s on-campus walk-in IT Service Desk.

“I decided to come back [to school] and did well as an older student, not fresh out of high school,” Tine said. “I initially chose to come to MCC to pursue a career I had been wanting to pursue for quite a long time but was not able to. I wanted to begin somewhere that was very relevant as soon as possible to my field of study. It was a very good way to gain experience that I will most likely take with me to future jobs.”

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Led by MCC’s Office of Career Integrated Learning (OCIL), the IT Learn and Earn program combines industry-guided curriculum with comprehensive hands-on workplace experiences. From going through the interview process and being hired to performing his everyday tasks, Tine received guidance to be successful from both OCIL members and MCC’s IT department.

In his role, Tine assists Middlesex employees and students with troubleshooting their devices, answering questions, and supporting them with a variety of technical issues. A range of tasks include updating firmware, setting up technology for events, and then clearing rooms where the technology is no longer needed. Working with colleagues and managers, he is learning how to escalate tasks as needed.

“Providing opportunities such as my position in the Learn and Earn program gave me some much-needed experience that I will take with me in the future,” Tine said. “I was able to gain some references and got quite a bit of experience that I will certainly utilize in the future.”

Tine credits MCC’s EDP Systems Analyst Jeff Durand for guiding him through the internship. Through assigning Tine tasks and projects, Durand was knowledgeable and available to answer questions. MCC Professor of IT Cyber Security Ahmed Alsaeedi also impacted Tine by making topics interesting and easy to understand in class.

In addition to his Learn and Earn internship, Middlesex offered Tine resources and opportunities to expand his learning. In his classes, he earned IT skills and certificates he can add to his resume and will use in his jobs. He was also able to work as a student leader for MCC’s Academic Centers for Enrichment and was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the honors society for two-year schools.

“This experience was able to give me a lot of confidence and showed that a lot of persistence and hard work can very much pay off in the end,” Tine said. “My education at MCC was overall very beneficial for me to grow as a student and person seeking my future goals.”

Tine graduated from Middlesex in May 2026 with highest honors. Transferring to Southern New Hampshire University, he is pursuing a bachelor’s in cybersecurity while completing his internship at MCC’s Service Desk. Looking ahead, he is applying to positions he hopes will continue to hone the skills he learned at the college.

Middlesex provided Tine early exposure to his field and the opportunity to pursue his dream career.

“This position gave me a lot of confidence with knowing that this is the place and career for me,” Tine said. “My overall experience at MCC was very valuable and gave me a lot of confidence in my future career and academic endeavors.”