MCC Alumna Makes Seamless Transfer to UMass Boston

Middlesex Community College reshaped Julia Marytn’s life. Calling it one of her best decisions, Martyn attended after some time off from school. She always encourages students of all ages to go to Middlesex. She is grateful for the life-changing experiences and opportunities she received during her tenure and looks back on her time at the college with fondness.

“MCC was a period of growth and opportunity amongst brilliant professors and students eager to learn and achieve,” she said. “I met the best people and appreciated every moment I was there. There was an atmosphere of comradeship at MCC that made me feel alive and fulfilled.”

From Lowell, Martyn graduated from MCC in 2018 as an English Literature major and transferred to UMass Boston. A team of MCC employees, including Jane Fain, MCC’s Coordinator of Transfer Affairs, assisted her with paperwork. Martyn’s essay won her the Foster Furculo Scholarship. The award is in dedication to the creator of the Mass. community college system and provides tuition and fees for one student per year at each community college in Mass. to attend UMass Boston.

Fain – and Marytn – believe it is important for students to understand the value of starting at Middlesex and transferring to a four-year college or university. At MCC, students can earn credit toward their bachelor’s degree while taking advantage of high-quality courses, small class sizes and affordable prices. Having the ability to start at MCC during the pandemic and then transfer to a four-year school within a year or two is a relevant and beneficial option for students.

“Students are transferring more than ever before,” Fain said. “Sharing experiences of our Middlesex alumni who have transferred will help increase the awareness of our faculty and staff of common transfer barriers and show our students how people they know have successfully made the transition.”

Starting at Middlesex built Martyn’s foundation for learning. Both her own determination and support from her professors pushed her through and gave her extra confidence to succeed.

“They constantly amazed me,” she said. “I remember them all with fondness and appreciation. They were kind, thoughtful, obliging and above all, encouraging.”

Although she was an English major, Martyn took a range of classes in other fields to help her figure out what she wanted to pursue. In her appreciation of all of her professors, she lists everyone from her English faculty to science and math, psychology and history, and the arts, including music, film and theatre.

Tutoring students at MCC’s Academic Centers for Enrichment (ACE) was a positive experience for her. She refers to Noreen McGinness Olson, MCC’s Director of Academic Support Programs, as “one of the best examples of positivity and kindness.”

At MCC, Martyn took advantage of various opportunities the college provided, including a chance to travel to Ogunquit, Maine and Washington, D.C.

As an English major and writer of poetry and fiction, she participated in poetry workshops, hosting one for The Dead River Review, MCC’s student-run online literary magazine. Martyn also attended MCC’s Visiting Writers Series with poet Richard Hoffman. She was inspired listening to a poet read his own work and talk to students about writing.

She encourages people to go to MCC because Middlesex strives to help people change their lives and provides students with opportunities they would not have otherwise received.

As for why her experience meant so much to her, Martyn said, “MCC believed in me and gave me the extra confidence to succeed.”

National Transfer Student Week is October 19-23. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/transfer/ for more information on MCC’s Transfer Program.

MCC’s Mini-mester II – an accelerated, eight-week session ­­– starts on November 2. 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!