Mike Khoury – a Captain with the Somerville Fire Department who lives in Andover – came to Middlesex Community College to help advance his career. By participating in MCC’s Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) program, Khoury was able to use the knowledge and experience he has learned through work as credit towards his degree, helping him save money and graduate faster.

Khoury chose Middlesex because of CPL, the proximity of the campus to home, and on recommendation from his brother who is an MCC alum. He first started talking to Robert Kaulfuss, MCC’s CPL Coordinator, in Fall 2019 to go over his options and develop a personalized academic plan.

“My experience with MCC has been great,” Khoury said. “I’ve learned quite a bit in one year and I credit that to the school and to the professors. If it wasn’t for the CPL program, I probably would not have been so motivated to pursue a college degree.”

Majoring in Fire Protection and Safety Technology – part of MCC’s Public Service Pathway – Khoury started in Spring 2020 as a part-time student and is on track to graduate in the Fall of 2021 thanks to all of his CPL.

With Kaulfuss’ guidance – and Khoury’s hard work – Khoury received 15 college credits from certifications, licenses and trainings he acquired through his job. His career knowledge and skills have already credited him towards two required classes for his major – and he is hoping for a third – which would bring his earned credits to 24.

“My experience with MCC has been great. I’ve learned quite a bit in one year and I credit that to the school and to the professors. If it wasn’t for the CPL program, I probably would not have been so motivated to pursue a college degree,” - Mike Khoury, MCC Student.

The CPL program also taught Khoury about College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams, which are standardized tests that students can take and use towards credit to show their knowledge in their field. Having passed one so far – and with plans to take two more – Khoury has moved even closer to his credit goal.

“For someone like myself – who works full-time and is a father of two – the CPL program has been extremely beneficial,” he said. “I am grateful that I was allowed to take advantage of the program.”

Balancing his coursework with other responsibilities – while being in the middle of a pandemic – can be challenging. Having the ability to take his courses online has been a time saving convenience that allows Khoury to fit classes into his schedule more easily.

Another benefit of MCC’s program has been Mini-mesters. In these accelerated course options, Khoury can finish two courses in the same amount of time it would take to complete one in the traditional 15-week semester. In just eight weeks, Mini-mesters cover the same content, maintain the same academic standards, and contain the same number of instructional hours.

To keep up with his coursework in his online courses and with the faster-paced Mini-mesters, Khoury says that time management has been the “key” to his success

“Each course lays out its schedule and due dates at the beginning of the semester,” he said. “I use that to set aside time each week for school work.”

As he works in a challenging and high-risk job, it is essential for Khoury to have access to these flexible course options in addition to relevant coursework and knowledgeable professors. His job is complicated and requires that he learns topics related to the science of fires and how to extinguish them.

Among the important skills he is honing through MCC’s program include investigating the cause and origin of fires; learning fire prevention codes, equipment, programs and standards; and understanding laws that govern the job.

Khoury believes that MCC’s program “covers all of these topics and more” and that completing his degree will prepare him to be even more successful in his role. He also values learning the theoretical knowledge that goes into his job from professionals who have worked in the field.

“The professors have all been great,” he said. “I believe it helps that they all have experience in the topics that they teach. In my opinion, experience is something you can’t get from a book.”