MCC Student Named as One of 20 Top Student Employees Nationwide

Middlesex Community College student William Miner was named one of the 2022 top 20 Student Employees in the United States by the National Student Employment Association (NSEA). A Supplemental Instruction (SI) Mentor for MCC’s Academic Centers for Enrichment (ACE), Miner “was incredibly honored and honestly shocked” for the award.

“I do not work with ACE because I crave any recognition, but really because I enjoy the work,” Miner said. “I have always prided myself on my work ethic and drive in the pursuit of success. Being named a top Student Employee is a rare gift which demonstrates that my hard work is appreciated!”

Living in Lowell when he first started at MCC – and now in Omaha, Neb. – Miner graduated from Middlesex with an Associate in Science in Liberal Arts in 2021. He is continuing to take online courses at MCC to finish prerequisites for medical school. In addition to being able to take credits at a lower rate, Miner feels more comfortable taking his science and math courses with professors he knows, and who know him.

One of the professors who has influenced him most at Middlesex is his Anatomy and Physiology instructor Jennifer Smulligan. Calling her “such an amazing professor,” Miner is impressed by how she goes above and beyond for her students. Both Smulligan and MCC English professor Denise Marchionda asked Miner to be a tutor for their classes. He’s grateful to them for the opportunity because he did not know how much he would come to love tutoring.

“I just wanted something to do that had to do with what’s important to me at the time, which continues to be my education,” he said. “Getting to be in courses as a tutor, you learn so much. I have a better understanding of these courses than I ever would have.”

As a mentor for SI Leaders, Miner gets to work with many classmates, faculty and staff from the ACE department. He was nominated for the award by MCC’s Dr. Virginia Drislane who is an ELL Specialist and Science Specialist for ACE.

“William stands out because of his unmatched enthusiasm to help out however he can,” Drislane, said. “His students loved him because he offered study skills strategies, technical support and encouragement in addition to supporting the content in the class. When I went to his sessions, I always left feeling like I had learned so much about the content and how to approach mastery of that content.”

Miner will start at the University of Nebraska Omaha in the Fall to work toward a bachelor’s degree in biology. From his classes to his tutoring, he feels as though MCC has provided him a “well-rounded education” that will set him up for success as he explores his next steps.

“It is the best job I’ve ever done,” Miner said. “I’ve had a lot of jobs and it is far and away the best. The ACEP department is incredible. I got the best education I could have from a community college and the time that I spent here.”