Middlesex CC Continues to Have Lasting Impact on Alum’s Career

As a full-time police officer for his hometown of Maynard, Christopher Sweeney was looking to enhance his career by getting a college degree. At Middlesex Community College, being able to take the majority of his classes online made all the difference.

“I was looking to get a leg up on my ‘competition’ and knew a degree in criminal justice would help me in that endeavor,” Sweeney said. “MCC has a great reputation in the area and the online program allowed me to still work full-time and enjoy my family life without having to worry about the times I had to be on campus.”

Flexibility was the number one thing Sweeney was looking for when researching programs. When he arrived at Middlesex, he also found supportive professors who cared about how their students did in their classes and in their futures. Although he graduated from MCC over a decade ago, he still keeps in touch with his professors Ronald Brevard and Heloisa DaCunha.

“Professor Brevard made such an impact on me during my time at MCC, that I am hoping to become a part-time professor so that I can have the same impact on others that he had on me,” Sweeney said.

One way Sweeney keeps in touch with his Middlesex roots is by talking about his experience and bringing in other presenters to speak to members of MCC’s Criminal Justice Club. As a student, he also helped plan trips to tour police stations, including the State Police Fusion Center.

Calling his time at MCC “fantastic,” Sweeney believes the program gave him a strong foundation of knowledge to progress in the industry. While his courses provided an understanding of what to expect from working in the Criminal and Social Justice fields, his Middlesex degree is “highly recognized within the profession” and has helped him move into higher positions.

Graduating from Middlesex in 2011 opened the door for Sweeney to continue his education even further. He transferred to UMass Lowell to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Now working for the Massachusetts Environmental Police, he is about to start a second master’s degree in Wildlife Forensics at the University of Florida.

Sweeney believes Middlesex provided the “leg up” he needed to make the career move.

“MCC is where it all started for me,” he said. “If I hadn’t started at MCC, I’m not sure I would have continued on through my master’s degrees. In my professional goals, I know that it played a role in my hiring at MA Environmental Police, putting me in a better position.”