State Auditor Diana DiZoglio is Middlesex Community College’s 2023 Distinguished Alumna and will speak to the graduating class during the commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 25.
"My experience at MCC was truly invaluable,” State Auditor DiZoglio said. “MCC helped instill the knowledge and confidence I needed to gain the most from my experience – to navigate what I was truly passionate about through courses and community engagement opportunities, and to help guide me toward my future endeavors. I am humbled to have the opportunity to speak with the Class of 2023 and look forward to seeing you all in a few weeks!”
State Auditor DiZoglio was born to a single mother on the day of her high school graduation. To support them, her mother worked as a nurse’s aide before putting herself through school at a community college to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. Inspired – and following in her mother’s path – she enrolled at MCC.
Starting part-time until she grew more comfortable in a higher education setting, State Auditor DiZoglio balanced her studies while waitressing and took advantage of being able to take both day and evening classes. Once she found success at MCC, she felt more secure in her studies.
“Ultimately, I had such a fantastic experience at Middlesex,” she said. “I ended up graduating with a 4.0 and it was around this time in my life that things truly started to click and make sense.”
While studying Psychology at MCC, State Auditor DiZoglio found her confidence through guidance from professors. Being able to connect with them on a personal level helped her “get the most out of my experience at Middlesex.”
"My experience at MCC was truly invaluable. MCC helped instill the knowledge and confidence I needed to gain the most from my experience – to navigate what I was truly passionate about through courses and community engagement opportunities, and to help guide me toward my future endeavors." - Diana DiZoglio, MCC State Auditor
MCC Anatomy and Physiology Professor Anne Miller – who worked as the Director of the Honors Department at the time – encouraged State Auditor DiZoglio to apply to Wellesley College. After graduating from Middlesex in 2008, she transferred to Wellesley to continue her studies and earn a bachelor’s degree in both Psychology and Spanish. For State Auditor DiZoglio, Miller “saw potential in me when I didn’t see it in myself.”
In addition to her studies at MCC, she worked as a Spanish tutor and participated in a Service-Learning Experience at Girls Inc. in Lowell in the nonprofit’s after-school programs.
Calling the college “a fantastic choice,” State Auditor DiZoglio said, “my experience at MCC was truly invaluable in instilling me with the knowledge and confidence I needed to step up my game and take my work to the next level.”
Her Service-Learning experience at Middlesex was the beginning of State Auditor DiZoglio’s work with youth and community centers. After graduating from Wellesley, she provided counseling and mentorship to underserved communities in addition to performing outreach into the community. This led to a job working at the State House where she was “able to continue doing that important work.”
The position taught her the positive differences she could make within the community through public service and community outreach. “I saw areas of state government that worked very well and others that needed improvement to ensure all families, regardless of zip code, have equitable access to succeed,” she said.
Inspired by this work, State Auditor DiZoglio ran and was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 2012. In 2018, she ran and became State Senator for the 1st Essex District where she represented Methuen, Newburyport, Haverhill, Merrimac, Amesbury, Salisbury and parts of North Andover – many cities and towns of which Middlesex also serves.
On January 18, 2023, she was sworn into her first term as the 26th Auditor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. State Auditor DiZoglio is committed to help move Massachusetts forward by working to increase transparency and accountability in state government.
Having the opportunity to attend a community college – Middlesex in particular – helped State Auditor DiZoglio have increased access to an education. In addition to allowing her to work while taking classes and saving her money on tuition costs, MCC was closer to her Methuen home, offered small class sizes, and provided “unique opportunities in alternative training or certification.”
“Community college was for me what it is for so many other people – a way to get started,” State Auditor DiZoglio said. “A way to make a positive change. A way to step it up. It’s the open door to further opportunity.”