Middlesex CC Alumna is a Dedicated Lowell Community Member

“I was born different from everyone,” said Dolores ‘Loli’ Sierra, of Lowell. “I grew up with seizures and I had a clubfoot and all of these things. My mom’s doctor told her I would never talk, I would never walk, I would never do anything.”

Not only did Sierra learn how to talk and walk, she went on to become the first person in her family to graduate from both high school and college. The accomplishment is a “milestone” for her family, and she is proud to have led the way for her younger sister who has now also graduated from college.

Sierra attended Middlesex Community College after graduating from high school. The supportive community of classmates and professors, opportunities to network and volunteer, and a newfound passion for psychology “opened my horizons more,” she said.

“I like doing research before I invest in anything,” Sierra said. “I’d seen that Middlesex had more one-on-one teaching, classes were smaller, and you could actually get to the professor if you needed them. Coming out of high school, I wasn’t used to college, I didn’t want to get lost.”

In her Introduction to Psychology course with Professor Donna Gray, Sierra realized she was interested in the ways in which the human brain develops and thinks, how personalities change depending on the person, environment, and where they are in their life. Knowing she wanted to help others in her future career, her field of study “made me understand people more.”

“The professors who run the program are just amazing at what they do,” Sierra said. “I still have my notebooks and I always go over them, all of that great information.”

Having places to go while on campus also helped Sierra feel more comfortable with the college experience. In MCC’s TRIO for Student Success Program, she found a helpful community where she could set and reach goals, access student support services, and go on trips to different colleges to see her options when it came time to transfer to a four-year school.

Her favorite space at the college was MCC’s Multicultural Center. As her mother is from Puerto and her father is from El Salvador, Sierra enjoyed sharing her cultures with others. In addition to meeting people from different backgrounds, experiences and interests, she also attended events and had a place to go to use computers, print papers, or study with friends.

“It was a welcoming area to different cultures,” Sierra said. “At the Multicultural Center, I learned to understand people’s cultures, where they come from, what their beliefs are, and what they like – and be able to appreciate that.”

Sierra also had a work study with the Middlesex Office of Admissions where she helped run events such as campus Open Houses or visits with local high schools. Even after her work study ended, she would assist the Admissions team, whether she was setting up for an event or sharing her college journey with prospective students.

“I would just tell them a little bit about my backstory and experience at MCC and the great things that I was able to do and accomplish,” Sierra said. “And just always advise them to get involved.”

Having graduated from MCC in 2014, she transferred to Southern New Hampshire University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a Concentration in Adolescence Development.

Just as she prepared to transfer, Sierra was offered a job at the Coalition for a Better Acre (CBA) – an organization she has been involved with since she was younger. Despite the long commute between college and work, she could not turn down the opportunity.

She started in a part-time role – that eventually turned full-time – working as a bilingual speaker with younger children in an after school program. Sierra continued to take on more responsibilities at the nonprofit and is now the Community Engagement and Event Coordinator.

In her role with CBA, she helps community members to translate or understand paperwork, get to doctors’ appointments, and run big community events that often host up to 300-400 people. Her favorite part of her job is getting to work with and connect with people.

“Especially now with COVID-19, you realize you can impact the community in a great way and people are so grateful,” she said. “The community members are amazing and so kind. You get to create relationships with people. I like to be the go-to person. I’m full of information, I just want to share it.”

It is this passion for helping others that led her to being named one of the 2022 Individual Living the Dream Partners award winners at the annual Living the Dream Partners Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. event. Grateful for the recognition, Sierra is quick to credit her mother for inspiring her love of volunteering.

“You do it because you have a passion for helping people,” she said.

To prepare for such an impactful role in the community, Sierra also credits her time at Middlesex – through her studies and engagement around campus – for helping her work with the community where she has to be “an open butterfly to talk with everyone.”

While she started college as someone who was shy and unsure of reaching out to people, she grew more comfortable asking for help and sharing more of herself, whether it was to make new friends or network.

And another part of the reason she loves to give back is because of the limitations her mother’s doctor once tried to put on her life.

“I’m a person who can talk, walk and do so many great things,” Sierra said. “It just makes me so proud because it’s those little miracles that people would never know this person went through when they were younger, and look where they are now.”

Part of the Social Science pathway, the Psychology program at MCC 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. For more information, visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/discover/dyp_socsci.aspx to discover a path to a career in Psychology at Middlesex.

If you have ever taken a class at MCC, you are an alum! To share your story – and join the free Alumni Association – contact Amy Lee, Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations, at 978-656-3028 or leea@middlesex.mass.edu. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/alumni for more information.

There is still time to register for MCC’s Spring 2022 semester, including Mini-mester II starting on Monday, March 28. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/ or call 1-800-818-3434 for more information.

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 education for more than 50 years. Middlesex puts the student first. Meeting each learner where they are, MCC provides them with a safe, welcoming and engaging place to learn. Offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses – Middlesex features flexible course formats and a variety of award-winning student support services and resources. Student success starts at MCC!