2024 MCC Criminal & Social Justice Graduate to Transfer to Harvard

Growing up in the Boston Housing Authority, Stephanie Berardi, now of Lowell, witnessed and experienced social issues related to race, class and gender. Looking to make positive changes in her community, she started studying Criminal and Social Justice at Middlesex Community College. In the fall of 2024, she will transfer to Harvard University to continue working toward social reform.

“Pursuing higher education was a decision driven by a desire for a better future and the hopes of what could be for me and my community,” Berardi said. “I chose MCC because I knew it was a college that offered equal opportunities to everyone and is a place where anything is possible as long as you’re willing to work for it. I’m pursuing a degree in criminal and social justice to give people the tools to break the cycle and to stand as an ally to all those who think it’s not possible or believe the system can’t be beaten.”

Calling MCC’s Criminal and Social Justice program “comprehensive,” Berardi benefitted from hands-on opportunities and an internship with the Woburn Superior Court. Combined with classes such as Law, Justice and Society and Society and Victims of Crime, these experiences allowed her to explore the role of social issues within the criminal justice system, including poverty, substance abuse, and mental health.

In her internship, Berardi shadowed probation officers to listen to court procedures, learn operating systems, and explore state rehabilitation guidelines. She helped identify relevant programs and develop rehabilitation plans for those struggling with substance abuse, as well as organized and updated case files.

“Seeing this allowed me to grain a new level of empathy and understanding, which helps provide better support and services for them,” she said. “I’ve learned to develop skills to address social problems such as risk assessment, intervention strategies, and rehabilitation. MCC’s classes taught me the value of learning from experience and being able to apply what you’ve learned in the classroom to the outside world.”

In addition to working with professors in her program, Berardi connected with members of MCC’s Success Scholars and TRIO programs. In the Success Scholars Program, she was connected to resources, mentors and advisors who helped her navigate college. Through a supportive and welcoming environment, the TRIO program helped Berardi feel like she belonged at Middlesex.

Berardi names the Director of MCC’s TRIO for Student Success Program Joanne Jaber Gauvin as someone who has impacted her most at Middlesex. “She taught me that getting a college education isn’t just about the degree,” she said. “It’s about your experiences while at college and enhancing the way you see the world.”

At MCC, Berardi also appreciated flexible class schedules with online and accelerated options that helped her finish her degree in just one year. As a Commonwealth Honors Scholar, Vice President of the Student Government Association, and a member of the LatinX Club, she learned more about leadership and advocating for the diverse needs of her classmates.

Graduating from MCC with highest honors, Berardi received the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship, the 2023 New England Transfer Association Scholarship (NETA) Governing Board Scholarship, and was awarded the Donald J. Melisi Criminal and Social Justice Award for Academic Excellence.

Berardi credits MCC for giving her a foundation for her future.

“MCC was the perfect start for me because it gave me a safe place to learn about what it takes to be a college student while providing me with programs to help me navigate the academic world,” she said. “MCC has supported me and provided opportunities to help me grow socially, academically and professionally.”