Student Credits MCC’s Small Class Sizes & Professors for Success

Starting out at large university, Emily Weinberg, of Lexington, struggled as she felt unsupported and did not know what she wanted to pursue. Looking for a smaller environment to figure out her goals, she came to Middlesex Community College. At MCC, she found a network of classmates and professors to guide her, as well as a passion for a new field “without feeling like I’m getting lost in a huge sea.”

“MCC is the perfect size and has helped me feel so supported,” Weinberg said. “Over the past two semesters, I finally feel like I’m getting on track to finding a career I’ll love.”

To narrow down her field, Weinberg focused on her experience working in a number of customer-service related jobs, including as a host, server, bartender and front desk agent. Realizing she was strong in hospitality and leadership, she decided to combine those skills with entrepreneurship and start studying business.

“I felt like the business administration track would be a great place for me to start,” she said.

In her classes, Weinberg enjoys learning from interactive experiences, from hearing professionals share their own journeys to working on hands-on projects. After a guest speaker visited her entrepreneurship class, the person stayed after to discuss a business idea Weinberg is interested in launching. She is also excited that the college offers a pitch contest, which provides students with a chance to win seed funding toward their business idea.

“The opportunities for learning are amazing,” Weinberg said. “[These opportunities] show MCC truly cares about the students and what we have to offer.”

Weinberg plans to participate in the upcoming pitch contest this spring, run by Stacie Hargis, MCC’s Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator. Hargis is one of the professors Weinberg credits for impacting her time at the college most.

After taking Hargis’s Introduction to Entrepreneurship class in her first semester at Middlesex, Weinberg feels she can still check in with her professor about her business idea as she gets closer to launching. This support is a continuous trend Weinberg has found at the college from all of her professors, calling them “some of the best teachers I’ve had.”

“The professors are thoughtful, encouraging and want you to succeed,” Weinberg said. “In every class I’ve had, I’ve felt as though I can ask for extra help from teachers, even when it’s outside questions. They are able to connect me with other mentors even if they don’t know an answer.”

At Middlesex, Weinberg has gained a strong foundation of knowledge and skills in the business field, as well as a better sense of how to be successful in college. With this support and guidance, she now feels she is more prepared to transfer to a four-year business school after she graduates with her associate degree from MCC.

“I have gained so many connections here which have expanded my network, my knowledge, and helped push me toward the path I want to follow,” she said. “I’m grateful for all the supportive professors and all the opportunities they give students to get involved and learn."