Student Counsel
HCC students talk to high school guidance counselors
On Feb. 4, the HCC Admissions team hosted its annual breakfast for area high school guidance counselors at the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute. The event feaured a student panel discussion moderated by Anne Morales Medina, associate director of recruitment and enrollment. Below is a lightly edited transcript of the Q & A:
The panelists:
Heather Martin, of Ware (Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School)
Major: psychology
Activities: Radio Club; Creative Writing Club; student ambassador for SAMP, the Student Ambassador Mentorship Program
Ben Mahoney, of Longmeadow (Longmeadow High School)
Major: business administration
Activities: work-study job in Admissions; secretary, Emerging Business Leaders Club; Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society; HCC men's soccer team
Cedric Ayvazian, of Holyoke (Hartsbrook School)
Major: liberal arts
Activities: student ambassador, ALANA Men in Motion program
Anne:
How would you describe the academic environment here at HCC, and what has been your most impactful class or professor at HCC?
Heather:
The academic environment here, at least in my experience, has been one of the most supportive academic environments I've been in, and one of the most impactful classes would be my Introduction to Psychology class with Professor Gail Vivian. She was able to integrate the firsthand college experience with developing the basic techniques of how to calm yourself and ready yourself for what comes next in such a beautiful way.
Ben:
Similar to what Heather said, the number one way I would describe the learning environment at HCC is supportive. There's so many different programs and people that can help you get through class. I love going to CAPS (Center for Academic Program Support) and the Writing Center. Those are very helpful. My most impactful class and professor would be my Principles of Accounting class with Professor Leah Russell. She really pushed us hard, and the class was difficult. It was one of my hardest classes I've taken. But she believed in us, and that's why she pushed us. I think having a professor on campus who believes in you and shows you what you're capable of really helped me in my academic journey here at HCC.
Cedric:
Same as both Ben and Heather. It's really been wonderful to be at HCC, because it is an environment that always will give you what you need, and you can either go after it, or, in some cases, they come after you when they see potential. I like to tell people about how I got to ALANA: In my first year at HCC, I essentially ignored all help because I thought I needed to do this on my own. I did fall on my face a couple of times. Last spring, the first person I saw was a staff member from ALANA as I was walking in through the door for my first day of the semester. And they said, hey, Cedric, ready to finally meet? And this was like, after a year, and I was like, yeah, OK. It's fun. You see the support that exists, and now, as a student ambassador, being able to work to support other students, I think that's lovely.
One class that was really impactful for me was the honors colloquium I took with Raul Gutierrez (Spanish, Latinx Studies). It was one of the hardest classes I've ever taken and pushed every ounce of academic rigor out of me. But at no moment did I feel alone. At no moment did I feel, I can't do this because I don't have people helping me. They'll push you, but at the same time, they'll make sure that you're getting everything you need to get through it. And it's really lovely. It's really special. I don't think any other place has it like this.
Anne:
What's one myth about community college that you'd like to debunk, and, also, what factors influenced your decision to attend HCC?
Heather:
One myth I'd like to debunk about community college is that the work is any easier than you'll find at a four-year institution. I actually went to a four-year institution for culinary, which I had studied in high school, and I found that there was a shocking lack of support at the four-year I was at, and that was actually the main influence for me coming to HCC: whenever I saw advertisements for HCC, it was always about the support programs offered. There's just an endless amount of support at HCC.
Ben:
One myth I would like to debunk about community college is that you just go to college for your classes and then you go home. There are some students who do this, but I found that the majority of students love to be involved on campus, and there's just so many different ways to be involved. All the clubs are really strong, and, even in the cafeteria, the library, there's always students there. I've met some great people at HCC, which, going into it, I didn't expect to. One professor told me that there's a direct correlation between students being involved on campus and student success. If I were to give students advice, it would be to stay on campus as much as you can.
What factors led me to HCC? Honestly, the first one was cost, and HCC is such a beautiful campus. Right when I went on, I was like, wow, it's right in the woods. It’s just beautiful. A lot of the buildings are brand new, so that was definitely a factor. And even when I went to campus for the first time, I immediately felt the support. I would say cost and support were the main factors that led me to HCC.
Cedric:
I think the top myth I would debunk is that community college is always the second option, that if you don't get into your four-year school, then you go to community college. For a lot of people that is true, and I think that's fine, but I think that when we get into this mindset of devaluing community college as a second choice or a second-rate institution, that's really dangerous. I'm not gonna lie; I did that for a long time in my head, but I think that when you put all the factors together – cost, support, communities you can build due to the size and strength of the people – that's what really gave it a lot a leg up over UMass at this point in my life. So, if your students are like, oh yeah, it’s high school plus, or fake college, don't let them think that, because that's definitely not true.
Anne:
What accomplishments are you most proud of so far?
Heather:
There's definitely a lot that I'm very proud of that I've done in my time at HCC. But other than becoming an ambassador for the Student Ambassador Mentorship Program, my top one would be becoming a DJ for the Radio Club. I host a show called “Indie Interlude,” and I absolutely love it. It's something I never thought I would be able to do, but the community has just really pushed me up, and it's been amazing.
Ben:
I'd say the accomplishment I'm most proud of at HCC has been making friends on campus. I was nervous that it would be kind of hard to make friends at a community college. Like I said earlier, I've met some great people that I would have never met.
Cedric:
For me, getting through the excessive number of honors classes and surviving them has been something that I'm really proud of, but the work I've done with ALANA has felt really, really special to me. It started last semester, and it was a pilot program, and we didn't know if we’d have funding to continue into the spring semester, but it's been so successful in terms of bringing people into the program and connecting them to the different support services at the college. I've felt really blessed and lucky to have been able to be a part of that and be a part of that history at HCC.
Anne:
Do you plan to continue your education after HCC?
Heather:
Right now, my top transfer choice for psychology is UMass, but I'm also considering Mount Holyoke College. I’ve been working with Camille Close (coordinator of the Pathways transfer program). But there are so many options.
Ben:
UMass Amherst is one of my top choices to study accounting there, but I've got a lot of different options.
Cedric:
Probably UMass. They have a great economics program, and another shout out to Camille. She's amazing. She always helps keep the doors of options open.
PHOTO (Above, from left to right) Student panellists Cedric Ayvazian, Ben Mahoney, and Heather Martin
