Middlesex Community College alumni and siblings Jasmin and Justin Marwad, of Woburn, received a recognition from the Guinness World Records. Along with their brother Martin, they earned the award for the most family members to graduate from the same university in consecutive years. Jasmin and Justin started as Middlesex dual enrollment students before transferring to UMass Lowell (UML) where they received the award.
“Choosing to attend MCC was one of the best decisions I ever made,” Jasmin said. “I had a great experience, and I always felt supported and set up for success. Being able to start early and earn credits while still in high school made a huge difference – it accelerated my education and gave me a strong foundation.”
Both siblings were inspired by their family’s interest in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields. Studying computer science, Jasmin credits MCC’s supportive professors, flexible course formats, smaller class sizes, and resources for being easy to access and helping her succeed. She also enjoyed being an active member of the community, including in MCC’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa with Justin.
A tutor and Blackboard Ambassador for MCC’s Academic Centers for Enrichment (ACE), Jasmin worked with peers to guide them through chemistry and physics classes. In addition to honing communication skills, she gained a stronger understanding of the subjects. Tutoring also helped her discover a passion for teaching and providing educational support to others.
“MCC taught me how to learn,” Jasmin said. “The environment here gave me the space, support and flexibility to grow, explore my academic interests, and find the path I wanted to pursue. The strong foundation I built at MCC – both in my coursework and through hands-on experiences – helped me learn to set goals, stay motivated, and prepare for the next steps in my academic and professional journey.”
Working at Teradyne as an Applications Engineer in their Defense and Aerospace division, Jasmin is pursuing a Ph.D. at UML in the People, Intelligence, Environments, Robots and Social outcomes (PIERS) Lab. Justin also works at Teradyne as a Product Security Lead for the Computer Test Division and is earning a Ph.D. in cybersecurity education.
With a lifelong passion for working with technology, Justin believes Middlesex provided him with a strong foundation in math, programming and science. Studying cybersecurity at Middlesex, he was able to apply and build upon these skills in his classes at UML.
“My experience at MCC was amazing,” Justin said. “I was impressed by the diversity of students from many backgrounds, and I appreciated the smaller classes that made it easier to connect with professors. MCC provided an affordable, supportive bridge from high school to university, helping me transition with ease.”
Benefitting from hands-on learning experiences at MCC, Justin completed an internship at Delphi Technology Solutions. He also worked as an ACE tutor for a physics class. While strengthening his learning, the experiences showed him the type of career he could pursue.
“I can confidently say I wouldn’t be where I am today without MCC,” Justin said. “[The college] gave me an affordable sandbox to explore, experiment with different topics and career paths, and figure out what truly interested me, while helping me get ahead.”