From Pepperell, Mass. and now living in Milford, N.H., when Walter Razzaboni first graduated from high school, he was looking for a new start to his academic journey. At Middlesex Community College, he found an enriching campus experience, diverse population of classmates, and supportive professors. Combined, these experiences developed his foundation of learning.
“I was not a studious high school student and did not have the grades or SAT scores to go to the undergraduate program I strived to go to,” Razzaboni said. “I knew I could do the work, I just needed to apply myself. My education from Middlesex gave me the confidence, structure and support to say, ‘I can do this.’”
One of the most impactful parts about his time at Middlesex included the professors who were empathetic toward students’ struggles, but still pushed them to succeed. Two of the professors who stood out the most were Charles Twomey and Bruce Cudney – with whom Razzaboni still maintains a connection. In his experience, the professors challenged their students, but were always on their side.
“You go from high school to college, treated like a kid to now being treated like an adult,” Razzaboni said. “It makes a huge difference, especially as a student who has a lot of fears, wondering ‘can I do this work, am I capable of this? It gave me a lot of ambition knowing I was responsible for figuring it out.”
Having grown up surrounded by a family business, Razzaboni started at Middlesex as a Business Administration student. With a plan in place to transfer to a four-year institution to continue studying business, he wanted to learn the fundamentals of the industry. He worked with Admissions counselors from both Middlesex and Bentley University – where he transferred in the Spring of 1995 – to make it happen.
“I was not a studious high school student and did not have the grades or SAT scores to go to the undergraduate program I strived to go to. I knew I could do the work, I just needed to apply myself. My education from Middlesex gave me the confidence, structure and support to say, ‘I can do this.’” – Walter Razzaboni, MCC Alum
After graduating from Bentley, Razzaboni returned to Middlesex to work on his general education requirements. During this time, he also had the opportunity to go on an MCC fellowship to the Netherlands. He worked for a few years in politics before shifting to his current field of Financial Services, earning a master’s degree from Boston University.
From gaining more confidence in his academic abilities to running for and being elected as part of student government, Razzaboni credits Middlesex for providing him with opportunities and experiences to get where he has in his career.
As an alum, Razzaboni “is a firm believer in paying it forward.” By sharing his story, he is hoping to show prospective students the benefits of building a foundation at MCC.
“What’s important to me is that if you don’t achieve your desired result right away, there’s another path,” he said. “This is a great way to start, this is going to save you a lot of money, and the professors at Middlesex are some of the best I’ve ever had. The support and opportunity from Middlesex can broaden you.”