Student Type: Student Parent
Paula Morgan
Nikki Ramos
Nikki started her higher education journey in 2021 with a full course load, but before the beginning of her first semester she was diagnosed with Central Nervous System Lupus (CNS). CNS can cause confusion and trouble concentrating, sudden unusual movements and behaviors including seizures, inflammation of the spine, and stroke.
With the diagnosis Nikki began to lose vision and experienced several other health complications that created many challenges for the student-parent. Most people in her situation would have called it quits and dropped out of all their classes. Nikki Ramos is not most people.
She was determined to succeed even when life got challenging. When speaking about the struggles she faced during the time of her diagnosis Nikki says, “I wish I could say that I just put on a positive attitude and was like “I can do this” but to be real about it; I shed a lot of tears and was very angry and upset.”
Nikki visited her counselor weekly to help cope with the stresses she was under. It was essential for her to have someone she could talk to and express everything that was happening to her. “It was the one place where I could let my guard down and it was okay to be upset about it, it was okay to struggle with it,” says Ramos.
Crys Secino
At Mount Wachusett Community College there are many students whose stories of resilience, transformation, and unwavering determination resonate deeply with anyone who has ever faced adversity and emerged stronger on the other side. Fitchburg resident Crys Secino is one of these students, and her story serves as a beacon of hope for all. Read more here.
Marymar Perez Cruz
Marymar Perez Cruz graduated with honors and her Associate’s degree in Human Services degree from MWCC. As a working mother, Marymar said that it was the flexibility of classes at the Mount, along with a strong work ethic, that allowed her to be successful.
“I balance studying kind of like if it were another job … I have to make time because I have a very busy life, I work and I have a family. Marymar said. “It’s definitely worth it being a good student, having a good GPA, being active.”
Marymar used the flexibility of classes at the Mount to her advantage, balancing school through the use of night, online, hybrid and cycle classes that are completed in three months. The college also offers classes at the Devens and Leominster campuses to make college more accessible to the 29 communities it serves.
But it wasn’t just the accessibility of those classes that allowed Marymar to succeed, but how they helped her find a balance between school and the rest of her life. Whether it was finding the right time to do homework or the perfectly timed class that allowed her to still spend time with her kids, Marymar fit her education into her life and succeeded.
“My weekends are for studying. Specifically Sunday – and most things are due on Sunday night for online and hybrid classes – I study and do all my homework,” Marymar said. “It actually pays off! Like at graduation I’ll be separate from my class because I’m in the Honors Program. I’ll get to wear something extra over my neck, because I graduated with honors. I’m definitely prideful, definitely.”
In the fall of 2017, Marymar will be attending Elms College to continue her degree.
Kaleigh Peterson
MWCC allowed me to blossom, and see myself as the intelligent and capable woman I am. It alleviated my fears of higher ed and provided me with the chance I needed to change my life.
Jennifer Guerriero
Jennifer Guerriero initially went to college immediately after high school. Not knowing what she wanted to major in, Jennifer was encouraged to pursue an accounting major as she was good at math. The degree turned out to be a bad fit and after a year and a half she stopped going and went to hairdressing school. She was a hairdresser for a long time and eventually worked her way up to having her own business, but she wanted something else. She wanted to go back to school.
“When my youngest (child) finally went to school full-time, I felt like I needed to do something for myself. I always wanted to finish up my degree,” Jennifer said.
Despite her kids still being young, as a returning student Jennifer found the flexibility offered at the Mount allowed her to succeed.  Classes at the Mount run at various times, allowing people to figure out the schedule that works best for them. And if there was a class I couldn’t get into the classroom for, Jennifer was able to take it online.
“There’s quite an array of online classes and I took quite a few,” Jennifer said. “I was always able to fit every class I needed into my schedule, even with working.”
Lisa Burns
Many people at Mount Wachusett and now at Mount Holyoke have faith in me as a student, which is inspiring me to strive for even more. I can’t describe the feelings I had when I read my acceptance letter. My kids are proud of me.
Kyna Bell
My future goals are to become a lawyer and eventually a judge. Without CCAMPIS, I would never have been able to effectively balance work and my son.