Submitted by Jen O’Brien, former GPSTEM Career Placement Counselor
Editor’s note: Jen submitted this story in January. She has since left Massasoit for another position, but we know she made a difference in the lives of countless students while she was here!
The community college is the educational home base to students from extremely varied backgrounds, each with their own story. When we are privy to our students’ stories, we have context for their motivations. Some of these students have endured incredible hardships in their lives. For many students, their community college gives them a setting to actively reinvent themselves and begin a fresh chapter of their lives. While here, they are able to develop a clear focus on who they want to be, and where they want to go. We staff and faculty endeavor to support and empower these students to make their own dreams come true, both personally and professionally.
Joe is a full time student in Massasoit’s Veterinary Technology program in Canton. We met last spring at the Veterinary Technology Career Fair in Canton. He was a second semester freshman at the time. I had visited his classroom the previous week to conduct a workshop on resume writing and job search skills. He seemed to be a hard-working and serious young man. He had an intensity about him that I didn’t understand at first.
At that first meeting, Joe disclosed to me that he had not held a job in several years. He also revealed to me that he was a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, and that his addiction had led to poor choices which resulted in a criminal record. He wanted advice on how to handle the inevitable questions from employers about his lack of recent work history, and the ensuing background checks which would reveal his past mistakes.
As he unfolded his story to me, I was struck by his humility and determination to be successful. He had a vision of his future and knew what he needed to do to get there. I appreciated that he was not afraid to ask for guidance and advice along the way. We met several weeks later to review his resume and cover letter. He was most interested in honing his interview skills. We discussed how best he could tell his story to a prospective employer. He took copious notes and asked a lot of questions.
Joe divulged that he had been a witness to his father’s dramatic decline in health due to alcoholism. His father passed away from the disease and after his passing, Joe was despondent. Ironically, his own alcohol and drug use became worse than ever. Joe had a realization that if he kept using, his mother would most likely have to bury him as well; not long after having buried her own husband. This thought inspired Joe to approach his mother for her help in getting sober. He entered rehab, and has built a solid support network of people who have his best interests in mind.
Joe has been sober for over two years now, and his future is bright. He set his sights on first securing employment in the animal care field, not a small feat given his lack of work history. He had several interviews over the summer, and was very pleased to receive a job offer from a local veterinary hospital. He is working there part-time while enrolled at Massasoit as a full time student.
Having achieved his first goal, Joe set his sights on his next goal: internships. He applied to an animal research internship at Harvard University, and was thrilled when he was invited for an interview. He bought his first business suit, thoroughly prepared a letter of introduction to bring to the meeting, and was offered the internship on the spot at the interview. He next heard that a wildlife refuge where he had applied for a different internship had also accepted him. His pride and happiness were evident in his email to me last week: “I have officially been accepted into my first two internship choices.”
Joe will graduate in May 2018 with his associate degree in Veterinary Technology. Upon completion, he will have current veterinary employment and two solid internships on his resume. Through determination, focus, and by humbly asking for assistance whenever he needed it, Joe has set himself up for much career success. We hope that by sharing both Joe’s struggles and personal achievements, other students may find inspiration to follow their own dreams and to not be afraid to ask for help along the way.
I am not sure if you remember me, my name is Peter Peloquin. I was a student in your Intro to Anthropology class in the fall of 2015. I wanted to take a minute out of my day to thank you.
The Commons 