From San Juan Puerto Rico, Karla Andino-Perez moved to Lowell in 2017 after a hurricane passed through the island. Although she had an associate degree in nursing, she started looking for a new career path during the pandemic. A variety of resources led Andino-Perez to Middlesex Community College’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) Career Pathways Program.
“When I started my new job as a Teacher Aide, since the first day, I talked with my direct supervisor about pursuing my goals and progress,” she said. “The advice that I received was to complete the education requirements. I talked with MassHire about that and they connected me with an orientation [at Middlesex] to become Early Education Certified.”
As a single mother, Andino-Perez wanted more time to spend with her son. After volunteering at her son’s preschool, she decided on a career change. She felt that working in the education field would allow her to progress in her career while being able to balance her time between work and her personal life. MCC’s flexible course offerings helped her fit her own courses into her schedule as well.
“I took multiple classes online,” she said. “It makes everything easier for me because I can’t attend in-person due to my work hours and being a single mother. The online program is easy to access, we have all the books and tools that we need for the class, and we have a lot of feedback from the teachers – something that makes students feel comfortable.”
Nancy Pynchon, MCC’s Director of ECE Career Pathways Grant, has guided Andino-Perez as an advisor and professor. “She’s really inspiring and motivates me to continue,” Andino-Perez said.
“The benefit of the ECE program for students includes the coursework, materials and support services they receive through the academic pathway at MCC, while actively being engaged,” Pynchon said. “The goal is to help students who would like to advance academically and professionally in their positions as an early childhood educator, and the Career Pathways funding allows them to pursue their goals.”
Funded by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, the ECE grant helps students pursue professional development, certification and degree opportunities. Funding can go toward the cost of tuition and course materials and fees, and students are provided with full access to all of the student support services Middlesex offers.
“The advice that I received was to complete the education requirements. I talked with MassHire about that and they connected me with an orientation [at Middlesex] to become Early Education Certified.” - Karla Andino-Perez, MCC Student
In addition to working and taking classes, Andino-Perez has participated in some of MCC’s extracurricular activities, including the LatinX Club and Lowell City of Lights Parade. Now working toward an Assistant Teacher Certificate at Middlesex, she has already met one of her short-term goals in becoming certified in Early Education and Care (EEC).
“I really want to dream big and go for a master’s degree, but slowly,” Andino-Perez said. “I’m working, I can have an opportunity to grow fully online, and I can manage my time in a flexible manner to reach my goals little by little.”