For Jill Vescovi, the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” has never had a simple answer. “As a kid, that question made me panic,” she says. “So, I’d just make something up – doctor, astronaut… sometimes even ‘giraffe tamer.’ The truth was, I didn’t know.”
Now, just shy of 45, Jill is graduating from the Mount with highest honors, earning her Associate of Science in Business Administration Career Degree – Accounting and an Accounting/Bookkeeping Certificate. She is also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.
She has embraced the journey that brought her here, a path she describes as “the scenic route,” filled with stops to “pick blueberries and collect cool rocks.”
“As a non-traditional, fully remote student working full time, I wasn’t sure how I’d fit in,” she explains. “But I quickly realized that none of that mattered. MWCC is a place where everyone belongs, no matter your age, your background, or where you are in life.”
Through programs like SUCCESS Scholars, supportive faculty, and accessible virtual events, Jill found connection at MWCC even from a distance. Career workshops and advising helped her build confidence and practical skills, from resume writing to interviewing, which led her to secure what she calls “the best job I’ve ever had” during her second semester.
“MWCC gave me a second chance to be a student. I used to think I was bad at math,” she says. “But I realized I just didn’t care enough before. Once that changed, everything changed.” Completing a math-intensive program with top academic honors is something her high school self might never have imagined.
Throughout her journey, support has been a key to her success, especially the support she has received from her family. “My husband has single-handedly kept me going,” she says with gratitude.
While Jill may still not know exactly what she wants to be when she grows up, she’s certain about something more important: “I know who I want to be – the best version of myself. She’s still becoming.”
Her advice to fellow graduates is simple: find your people, seek support, and trust your path, even if it doesn’t look like anyone else’s.