Magician Learned New Tricks with MCC’s Business Program

When the pandemic struck, magician Ryan Lally – from Watertown – had to acclimate to new and challenging circumstances, much like many others. Lally developed a new business model to bring magic to the virtual world. His business background – including an associate degree from Middlesex Community College – helped him make the adjustment.

Lally first chose to come to Middlesex as a Dual Enrollment student at age 16. He was homeschooled and had several friends already attending. MCC was affordable and offered him “incredible educational opportunities” while preparing him with the know-how to run a successful business.

“I had an amazing experience at MCC,” he said. “The small classroom sizes led to very interesting discussions, and the beautiful campus made down time between classes very relaxing.”

After discovering a local magic shop in his hometown of Watertown at 12 years old, Lally first started learning tricks and by 14, was performing regularly. He knew that if he wanted to turn his passion for magic into a career, he had to have a solid foundation of knowledge and skills in business. At Middlesex, he was able to start his academic journey.

“I became interested in business when I began performing magic shows for pay,” he said. “It didn’t take long for me to realize that if I knew more about business, I could get more gigs at higher fees.”

Lally lists three MCC professors as having made difference in his academic journey – Stephanie Pesce, Hyatt Weiss and Vikram Sharma. He is grateful to their dedication to their students.

One of the highlights of his time at MCC was having the opportunity to travel to India with a group from UMass Lowell, as well as a separate group of students from China. They spent three weeks over winter break studying and traveling. Lally calls it “an eye-opening experience.”

After graduating from MCC in May 2017, Lally took advantage of MCC’s MassTransfer system to transfer to UMass Boston to earn a bachelor’s degree in Management, and then an MBA in 2019. He believes MassTransfer is an “easy decision” for students who want to attend a UMass college – or Mass. state university – after attending Middlesex.

For his Zoom performances throughout the pandemic, Lally has had to make financial investments in addition to using sound, lighting and cameras in new ways. Having a strong background in Business has allowed him to more easily make these changes.

Over the course of earning his Business degrees, he learned online tools to help him be more successful, including computer programs like Excel and Photoshop. He also found it beneficial to hone his social media skills to better understand how to use the platforms to his advantage in order to promote his shows to a larger audience.

“Being a magician in 2020-2021 has required me to adapt very quickly to a very new performing environment,” he said. “At first, gigs dried up completely and I was left unable to perform. Now I am performing these shows for nonprofits and children in need all over the country.”

MCC’s Business program helps students go into – and succeed in – the workforce or transfer to four-year schools with its award-winning and affordable offerings, small class sizes and flexible schedules. Visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/discover/dyp_business.aspx for more information and to discover your path to a Business degree at Middlesex.

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.

MCC’s accelerated eight-week Spring Mini-mester starts on Monday, March 29. Complete general requirements and earn credits with the same high-quality content, academic standards and number of instructional hours as courses scheduled in the traditional 15-week semester. To register, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/ or call 1-800-818-3434.

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!