The single father of a 9-year-old boy named Guy Bastien of Tyngsboro is proud to be back in school. Combining the knowledge gained from his previous college-level courses with his professional experience in electronics manufacturing, Bastien came to Middlesex Community College to study electrical engineering.

“It means a lot to my son to see me go back to school,” Bastien said. “After giving birth to my son, everything changed, including my perspective on life. I am an example to him, someone he can associate with going to college. “I informed him of everything I did in classes and at school.”

Before working in electronics, Bastien struggled with housing insecurity. Once he got his feet on the ground, he was able to focus on long-term goals, including returning to college and using government funding and support to earn his degree. Resources at Middlesex helped her adjust to being a full-time student, such as visiting the university’s food pantries where she could pick up healthy foods and connect with staff.

MCC’s TRIO Program for Student Success assists Bastien with one-on-one academic, professional and personal advising and making connections across the university. During her time in the program, she enjoyed participating in field trips to learn more about transfer options, including UMass Lowell and Southern New Hampshire University.

“I get a lot out of TRIO,” Bastien said. “The program helps with personal development, business and career training, and prepares me to build a network of people I can work with when I graduate. Especially Rina (Tenore, lead consultant for MCC’s TRIO SSP) is a wonderful person. “He is someone I can always talk to and he is very supportive.”

Bastien also credits professor Leonardo Nin with having a positive impact on his time at MCC. In his Ethics and Society class, Bastien found Nin to be engaging, facilitate the class, lead interesting conversations, and motivate him to participate in class. Bastien appreciates the way his professors set class expectations in many of his college-level courses.

“My takeaway from college was that no one forced me to be here,” Bastien said. “I wake up and decide to go, and when I talk to professors I get some respect because they know I’m an adult. “It makes me realize that if I put myself in that situation, I have to do what I have to do.”

Although Bastien takes a mix of on-campus and online classes, he continues to participate in community events. In addition to participating in TRIO-related events, she joined the African Culture Club to connect with her peers. His experiences at the club helped Bastien feel like he belonged at MCC.

“Everyone I meet is friendly,” he said. “I enjoy joining the club and meeting people from different cultures. “I love being around people of all ages and backgrounds.”

After graduation, Bastien plans to transfer to UML to study electrical and mechanical engineering. His biggest goal is to own an electronics manufacturing company one day. MCC is helping him get a jump start on his dreams.

“Being around MCC, the people and experiences at the university were great,” he said. “It’s been a long time since I went to school, but I wanted to go back and get my degree. Looking back, I realized how much I missed college in the beginning. It’s so much fun now.”