MCC’s Student Support Services Make Difference on Student’s Path

After giving birth to her daughter at 17, Leticia Torres, of Methuen, was unsure of where life would take her. Growing up, she watched her single immigrant mother struggle to work multiple minimum wage jobs. With Middlesex Community College, Torres found a way to balance spending time with her family with working and continuing her education to provide for them.

“I am proud to say that MCC has prepared me for greatness,” Torres said. “So far, my greatest achievement has been having the strength to continue to attend MCC and maintain good grades while at it.”

MCC’s TRIO Program for Student Achievement – funded by the U.S. Department of Education – made Torres’s college experience easier. To help her do well in classes, the program taught her study strategies and academic skills through tutoring. Staff in the program also offered guidance to keep her mentally well when she struggled with depression and anxiety.

“They truly care about their students’ well-being,” she said. “They have been there to support me when I feel like giving up. They motivate me to be a better student. They set me up for academic excellence and success. I can say I wouldn’t be where I am without the TRIO program.”

One of the ways TRIO staff “mentor beyond Middlesex” is by inspiring Torres to continue her education. The Business Transfer student plans to take advantage of the MassTransfer process to attend the University of Massachusetts Lowell after she graduates from MCC.

Another influence on Torres’s time at Middlesex is Stacie Hargis, MCC’s Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator. Whether teaching her more about business concepts and plans or advising her through her next steps, Hargis has proven to Torres that “she truly cares about her students.”

The staff members of TRIO and professors such as Hargis have shown Torres the ways in which MCC “goes the extra mile for students.” Torres also credits her mother and her resilience in raising Torres and her siblings for shaping her life experiences. Now as a single mother, Torres believes she is showing the community – and herself – what is possible through education.

“I am beating the odds as the first generation to attend college,” Torres said. “I am going to continue with my education and accomplish the dreams and objectives that I have for my future. MCC has given me a chance to hope again.”