I ultimately wanted to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design, so I catered each art project to fashion, that way I would have portfolio pieces geared towards my prospective major. You can really use this opportunity to explore and experiment. Make it your own.
Student Type: Traditional
Kyle Deane
A huge part of it for me was the tuition break… but also the expectations, like the GPA, were just another driving factor. It was almost like a challenge – a personal challenge to adhere to the guidelines and in that same vein keep your eye on the prize and work towards a dream you have.
Mackenzie Christensen
Danielle Waseleski
Danielle Waseleski graduated in May with her associate degree in liberal arts. While she was at Mount Wachusett Community College she had work-study positions with different departments. She found this to be a convenient way to fit in a job while attending school.
“I’ll go to my classes, then I’ll go to work around lunchtime, go to my classes again, then continue working until whatever time they need,” she said. “It’s just so much easier working at the school so you don’t have to commute to other places.”
Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a type of financial aid designed to assist students with the cost of college, including tuition, fees, transportation and books.  Most students who participate in work-study work ten to twelve hours per week. Positions take place on-campus or off-campus at one of MWCC’s non-profit community service partners.
Danielle started as a student ambassador doing tours of campus, filing documents, and helping out with special events. She since moved her way up to being an office assistant for Admissions where she handles outreach to other students.
“If you’re thinking about going to the Mount, I would definitely recommend doing it, for sure. It’s been one of the best experiences of my life getting my associate degree at the Mount,” Danielle said.
Tiffianie LeBlanc
Elizabeth Brown
Elizabeth Brown knew that nursing was a great fit for her personality, having always been a caring person. During her time in the Mount Wachusett Community College nursing program, she not only got the education she was seeking, but found a community in the various activities around campus.
“I have a lot of great memories at the Mount. Most of them were when they had little events going on,” Elizabeth said. “They had a barbecue one fall, and it was my first day of lab – so it was the first day in the nursing scrubs – and I remember I was so proud to be in those scrubs because I used to see all the other nursing students wearing them when I was trying to get in and I couldn’t wait to be like them.”
MWCC offers four nursing program options: the Nursing Degree (day and evening), the LPN to ADN Bridge program (for current Licensed Practical Nurses), and the Practical Nursing Certificate. The Associate’s degree nursing program at Mount Wachusett Community College prepares students for licensure as nurses and therefore covers an array of challenging science courses including anatomy, physiology and microbiology. Elizabeth pushed through the rigorous program with hard work after being overjoyed at being accepted.
“To be accepted you have to apply and send in your application, which was very nerve-wracking. I remember sending mine in the mail and wondering if I would get accepted,” Elizabeth said. “I still have the letter that said I was accepted into the nursing program, envelope and everything. I’ll probably save it forever. It was very exciting.”
Denise Gosselin
Going to the Mount was a tradition in my family. The year I graduated, my father graduated with his degree in nursing. MWCC made so much possible for me.
Gosselin, a native of Lunenburg, is an associate professor of criminal justice at Western New England College and is the author of Heavy Hands: An Introduction to the Crimes of Family Violence, a leading textbook in the field of domestic violence, and of Smart Talk: Contemporary Interviewing and Interrogation.
She earned an associate degree in law enforcement in 1976, then went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice from Westfield State University and a doctorate in criminal justice at Capella University, while raising a family.
Along the way, she has broken barriers for women in the field by becoming the first uniformed officer for Lunenburg and the first female campus police officer at MWCC. In 1978, the Massachusetts Senate honored her as the first woman appointed constable for the city of Fitchburg. Gosselin retired as a trooper from the Massachusetts State Police in 2002. She served as a uniformed officer, as a drill instructor at the department’s academy, and as a major crime detective.
“The education that I received at Mount Wachusett Community College launched a career in policing and my future in academia,” she said. “Going to the Mount was a tradition in my family. The year that I graduated, my father graduated with his degree in nursing. For my father, it was a second career after service in the military. For me, it provided the beginning of a criminal justice career that made me yearn for more education. Mount Wachusett Community College made so much possible for me. It is an honor to be recognized as Alumni of the Year.”
Alan Argollo
The MWCC Business program prepared me to transfer for my bachelor’s degree and become the successful business owner I am today.
Emily Lapinskas
Beginning at MWCC saved me a huge amount of money and all of my credits transferred. The Mount provided a good foundation for me to build upon.
Savannah Cooke
MWCC was affordable, not intimidating like other colleges can be, and it can help you decide where you really want to go in life.