Samuel, after graduating from high school in 2017, went to Brown University in Providence, RI for a year, but it ended up not working out for him. He admits to being a lazy student and failed half of his classes.

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. (June 10, 2021) — After Leah Mohammed-Vargas of Jamaica Plain, MA, graduated in 2008 from Snowden International High School in Boston, MA, she headed to nearby Newbury College to pursue her dream of earning a degree. As a first-generation college student, she worked hard and excelled in course work, loving the academic environment of a college campus. “After I completed my freshman year, I had to drop out of college to help support my family.

My journey at MassBay was interesting because at first I wasn’t planning to go to college, at least not to a traditional kind of school.

Kelly Graska, MassBay’s Student Development Administrative Assistant, explains how she is the front line of the Student Development office. She strives to have students leave her desk feeling better and having their questions answered.

When Kelly Giudice of Framingham, MA graduated from Algonquin Regional High School in 2009 she thought her grades weren’t high enough to be accepted into college and that the cost was out of her reach, so she joined the workforce. Kelly worked full-time alongside her husband at Trader Joe’s when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. “We took a step back during that time, and I wanted to change my career and study to become a personal trainer,” said Kelly.

Juan Paolo Mesa, a native of Colombia, was five years old when he moved with his family to Boston, MA and then

James Hilton, a MassBay Community College alumnus, explains how some students know exactly what they want to do after high school and where they’re going to college, but that wasn’t his experience.

Jack Cutone attended Quinsigamond Community College and went on to receive a B.S. Degree from Worcester State University in both Economics and Business Administration. He received his MBA from Anna Maria College and a Senior Executive Certificate from Duke University, Fuqua School of Business. He was the Managing Partner of 1031 Exchange, United Asset Trading Company, LLC.

Dr. David Podell, President of MassBay Community College:

Deborah Georgopoulos is MassBay Community College’s Executive Assistant to the VP/CFO, Office of the VP of Finance & Administration’s Office.