Biotech Student Finds Path with MCC’s Learn & Earn Experience

For Middlesex Community College student Tyler Krouse, education is about taking a step forward. Krouse participates in Middlesex’s Biotechnology Learn and Earn Experience. The hard work and dedication needed to complete the program – and to succeed in the biotechnology field – is his motivation.

In MCC’s Learn and Earn Experience – funded by an $841,000 grant from the One8 Foundation – Krouse and his classmates are getting valuable work experience at the same time they are earning their associate degrees. Students in the program have guaranteed employment for the year – pending performance expectations – and are paid for their work.

Krouse – who is from Pennsylvania and now lives in Billerica – is working at Takeda Pharmaceuticals as a Manufacturing Technician. In this role, he is responsible for performing routine and critical manufacturing operations while maintaining Standard Operating Procedures.

“I believe the idea of obtaining your degree before you work in the field is starting to become outdated, especially within the biotech field,” Krouse said. “Not only does it help give you the practical tools to work within an industry, it tests your ability to balance your personal life to your work life, and to help continue moving forward.”

Another benefit of learning and working at the same time is having the opportunity to apply the theory and practice of concepts taught in class to real-world examples. Since Krouse feels comfortable learning techniques in a controlled setting in a lab at Middlesex, he is more confident in performing his work at Takeda – regardless of the end result. With school and work combined, he gets a “healthy environment” in which to explore his field.

A lifelong learner, Krouse has had other life and work experiences before attending Middlesex, including a degree in Music Business. From these experiences – which he believes “can give you skills that you will find useful when you land in an opportunity that you want” – he has gained a better understanding of why he wants to pursue a career in biotechnology.

“It lays a great groundwork for a vast array of career choices,” he said. “Learn and Earn helps you put that foot in the door while giving you experience and cementing career goals by putting you in an environment that shows you all the potentials you could have with this degree.”

At Middlesex, he has witnessed a commitment to student success unlike what he has experienced at other schools. He is grateful for his professors’ support and passion for helping their students with an interpersonal approach. Krouse is particularly impressed that his former chemistry professor still emails him to check-in to see how he is doing in the program.

“There is quite the amalgamation of professors here at MCC who have worked in all sorts of fields,” he said. “I have a fun time bouncing ideas and listening to their insights as I continue my education here at MCC.”

Having dedicated professors is just one part about the community college atmosphere Krouse enjoys. The college also provides high-quality courses and opportunities for students of all ages.

“Community college should be a foundation for students so that they can hone their pathways if they’re still unsure of their passion in life, and learn techniques before they continue elsewhere,” he said. “I believe MCC accomplishes that very well.”

After graduating from MCC in Fall 2021, Krouse wants to transfer to Northeastern University to pursue further education. As the biotech industry grows, he believes there is demand for students to “better understand the sciences to help bring medicine and devices into a patient’s hand.”

While the opportunity to be successful is available in the industry, for Krouse it starts by getting an education, gaining experience in the field, and being open to learning more.

“My experience within MCC has been great,” he said. “MCC gives care and attention to all their students, while not only pushing them to work within their fields, but also having great connections with companies to help them land that work.”

Benefits of the program include support from a dedicated Learn and Earn team at MCC, potential for permanent employment in the future, and fulfillment of the biotech internship requirement, according to Stefana Soitos, MCC’s Director of the Biotech Learn & Earn Experience.

“We continue to recruit students for the Biotech Learn and Earn Experience,” Soitos said. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with Takeda and AbbVie and are excited to welcome Ultragenyx as a Learn and Earn company partner.”

To provide more information for current and new students interested in MCC’s Biotech Learn and Earn Experience, the college is hosting its second virtual information session of the semester. It will take place online 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 10.

Visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/biotechnology/learnandearn.aspx or contact Stefana Soitos at soitoss@middlesex.mass.edu to register for one of the virtual information sessions.

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!