MCC Helped Alumna Find Ambition & Confidence in Her Career Path

At Middlesex Community College, students continue to use the knowledge and skills they learn during their time at the college well past graduation. Seda Korroch attended Middlesex to help bridge the gap between high school and a four-year college. She believes that her experience at MCC is reflected in her everyday life and taught her how to be more motivated in her studies.

From Bedford, Korroch graduated from Middlesex as a psychology major in Spring 2020. Although she struggled in high school, she worked hard at MCC to improve her grades and set herself up to be in a solid position to transfer to UMass Amherst to earn a bachelor’s degree.

MCC provided her with the opportunity to meet and learn from mentors, as well as with experiences that expanded her interests. Her professor and advisor Jennifer Pisarik offered her the support and encouragement she needed to succeed, while her time in MCC’s Commonwealth Honors Program developed her abilities further.

“Every day at UMass, I use the confidence, ambition and knowledge I gained at MCC to keep furthering my education,” she said. “The rigorous schedule of homework, papers and reading helped me develop the study techniques I needed to support my ambitions.”

While her initial interest in psychology stemmed from the opportunity to work with people, Korroch grew more fascinated by her major as she dived deeper into her coursework. The cognitive, developmental and social psychology specialties in particular showed her what she wanted to do in her career because of how they all relate to each other.

“We are constantly having to combine subjects like biology and chemistry with philosophy and human nature,” she said. “I like the challenge of being a scientist who studies something with this many moving – and oftentimes contradictory – parts.”

In the Commonwealth Honors Program, Korroch came to understand why she wanted to pursue psychology – which is what she considers the first step to being motivated – as well as the value of hard work and commitment. In addition to research projects, she learned how to complete literature reviews, analysis and applying the knowledge she learned in classes to real-world situations. All of these experiences are relevant to what she is now doing at UMass in her studies and in her job at a developmental psychology research lab.

“The honors program was so instrumental in my success at MCC,” she said. “The subjects and professors really inspire students to push themselves academically. The research papers helped me figure out I had more of a passion for research than I initially thought, and the flexibility of what the paper could be on helped me explore more areas in my major.”

In addition to her studies, Korroch also had the opportunity to work for MCC’s Office of Disability Services as a student note taker. She enjoyed helping her classmates while being able to sit in on other classes she found interesting. For her, it is the support Middlesex offers that stands out the most and she was proud to have been a part of that.

“I always recommend MCC to anyone who wants to further their education and have an amazing support system behind them,” she said. “The staff and faculty genuinely want to see students grow into their full potential.”

Whether going for an associate degree, earning credits towards an advanced degree or upgrading skills, MCC has students covered with 10+ degree and certificate programs in Social Science – including anthropology, economics and finance, geography, history, human services, international relations, peace and conflict studies, political science, pre-law, psychology and sociology.

MCC’s Social Science program helps students go into 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_socsci.aspx for more information and to discover your path to a Social Science 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.

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!