Middlesex Community College provided Dominick Rush, of Lowell, the time and ability to discover his passion. Coming from Greater Lowell Technical High School where he studied engineering, Rush sparked an interest in history at Middlesex. Through taking a variety of MCC’s courses and finding guidance from professors, he was inspired to work toward becoming a teacher upon transferring to UMass Lowell (UML).
“My time at MCC was transformational, from engineering to history and then to ultimately pursuing a career in education,” Rush said. “Many students undergo these types of foundational changes in their first two years of college anywhere, but I’m convinced that my unique experiences at MCC would not have been replicated at any other school.”
As a full-time student at UML, Rush wanted to gain practical, real-world experience to go along with his studies. In mid-December, he started in a position at the North East Educational and Developments Support (NEEDS) Center in Andover. In this role, he works with adults with autism.
In partnership with senior staff and program coordinators, Rush is responsible for the safe transport and daytime supervision of clients at the NEEDS Center. He assists in guiding clients through daily activities, including meals and community outings. Through this job, he was able to confirm his interest in working in special education.
“So far, the experience is daunting but very rewarding,” Rush said. “My interaction with clients has a real, tangible effect over their daily lives and I find myself thinking about what it will be like to reach younger children with special needs and very much looking forward to that future. I can draw a direct timeline of events from my first semester at MCC leading to my first day at the NEEDS Center with a great deal of satisfaction.”
The variety of classes MCC offered Rush as a history, politics and global studies major led him to discover his interest in teaching. Taking a combination of general education requirements and extracurriculars made classes exciting, while flexible course options allowed him to build his schedule to fit his needs.
MCC’s supportive professors also helped Rush develop his future plans. In Professor Alejandro Raya’s class, Rush learned the importance of looking at history and past events from different perspectives. From Professor Deborah Botker, Rush realized he wants to teach the subject in his own classroom one day.
“I left MCC with lofty goals as result of my meeting these two professors,” Rush said. “Professor Raya turned what I at first regarded as simply good, interesting stories into a more formalized field of academic study. With Professor Botker’s example and encouragement, I was able to transform a vague idea of possibly teaching someday after college into a desire to share all the fascinating history I was learning with other students.”
Despite the change of major, Rush was able to transfer all his MCC credits to UML. At the four-year school, he is seeking dual licensure in Massachusetts in teaching and special education. Rush credits MCC for “opening doors” for him to make his journey possible, from offering a more affordable option to start his education to helping him find his career path.
“MCC opens doors for students that they may not have realized they wanted to go through at first, as well as doors they were completely unaware of when they first registered for their freshman year,” he said. “You have to go through an open door to achieve any goal in life and for me, MCC was an excellent path to start out on.”
Learn more about MCC's history, politics and global studies program!