Opportunities at MCC Help Student Launch New Career

From Pakistan and now living in Woburn, Anisha Aneesha earned a degree in business administration from Malaysia before moving to the U.S. Looking to combine her business and marketing background with a more creative field, she came to Middlesex Community College to pursue fashion merchandising.

“My experience has been nothing short of amazing,” Aneesha said. “The best parts have been the creativity, support from teachers, and a beautiful community that you find along the way.”

MCC Professor and Coordinator of Fashion Merchandising Ashli Ree has motivated Aneesha to tap into her creative side more. In addition to her classes on color theory, design theory, and the history of fashion, Ree recommended a ceramics course which Aneesha enjoyed.

All of these options have given her a better sense of what she will be doing at her future job. Helping “me in this journey,” she said.

Wanting to get involved on-campus, Aneesha works as an orientation leader and student employee for the Office of Student Engagement (OSE). In her role, she assists MCC clubs in being financially independent and filling out forms for budgets and event requests.

“Working as an OSE student employee is the best decision I made because it gave me a purpose to be involved on campus and interact with so many students,” she said. “This helps me get more familiar with the environment and sort of healed the initial anxiety of being the new kid on campus.”

Aneesha credits MCC’s Coordinator of Student Engagement & Multicultural Programming Linda Thiem as the person who has supported her most at Middlesex. As her mentor, Thiem has pushed her to do her best, continue with her studies, and given her the opportunity to work with OSE.

A member of the Art Club and International Club, Aneehsa hopes to get an internship within fashion merchandising for the fall 2024 semester. She is also grateful MCC has offered her networking opportunities outside of classes and the campus environment, including when she attended the Board of Trustees annual dinner.

“Opportunities such as this are huge,” she said. “Students are able to connect and speak to influential people who can motivate you in your college journey.”

Although she was nervous starting out as an adult student, Aneesha was drawn to Middlesex because of the college’s smaller class sizes. She grew comfortable once she found professors who are dedicated to focusing on education and staff members who helped her access opportunities to succeed.

After she graduates from MCC, Aneesha hopes to get a job related to fashion. With the foundational knowledge she learned at Middlesex, she plans to continue working hard and being true to herself as she moves forward.

“It’s your hard work and determination that leads you to success,” Aneesha said. “The best thing about MCC is that it gives you all the rules you need to do it.”