Lynda Zarrow came to Middlesex Community College as an adult-learner seeking a start to a new career. When she graduated, she came away with a certificate in Graphic Design and a job – Graphic Designer at the college.
The North Reading native had left her career in Business to raise her two daughters. When one of her daughters was taking a high school Graphic Design class, Zarrow was impressed by the technology and grew curious. Inspired, she now needed to figure out how to pursue this newfound passion.
Research of local colleges led her to Middlesex where she earned a certificate in 2015 and made a group of friends who she went through the program with – and with whom she still connects with today through MCC’s Facebook Alumni group.
“MCC prepared me very well,” she said. “The professors in the department were some of the best teachers I’ve ever encountered – and over my life I have taken a lot of classes! I learned a lot about design principles, as well as techniques in using the design software.”
As she was completing her certificate and growing excited to jump back into the workforce, Zarrow felt a renewed passion for education and all that the Graphic Design program had done for her. A job opened up in MCC’s Office of Marketing Communications and now as a designer, she works on projects to promote the college’s efforts to support student success.
One of the most important messages of late is the college’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.
“I’m proud to have a small part in communicating changes caused by COVID-19 to the MCC community,” she said. “To think that professors and students were quickly able to transition to online learning is impressive. I feel that the school is doing a great job of supporting a variety of student needs via social media channels. Our website is continually updated to provide the most current changes impacted by the coronavirus.”
Zarrow is also an avid sewer who makes weighted therapy blankets. She was asked by a friend who works at a healthcare agency if she could sew masks for her staff and the project grew from there. Zarrow turned to social media to get a group of six other sewers involved to finish a total of 1,000 masks – 200 of which she has made herself.
In addition to donating them to her friend’s agency, Zarrow has gifted the n-95 masks to friends with at-risk family members and Bridge Over Troubled Waters – a nonprofit in support of homeless at-risk youth.
To ensure safety, Zarrow washes and dries the materials before sewing and asks users to do the same when they receive the masks. She makes sure to continue practicing social distancing when she drops them off – or leaves them on her porch for others to pick-up.
Zarrow is glad to be doing her part to help her community – and for having a project to keep her busy during her downtime from work. She’s also thankful for Middlesex – both in her academic and professional careers – for providing her with the opportunity to pursue her passion.
“Being home more and having time to think, I realize how lucky I am to have found my path a little later in life,” she said. “Every day I get to do something I love. I advise anyone thinking of exploring a new career path to consider MCC. I got a high-quality education close to home at a price and a pace I could afford.”
For more information on MCC’s Art & Design programs, contact Margaret Rack, MCC’s Art Department chair at rackm@middlesex.mass.edu or 781-280-3803.
Registration is now open for MCC’s Summer Session 3 and Fall Session. For more information and to register for classes, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration or call 1-800-818-3434.
MCC is celebrating its 50th year starting in September 2020. If you have ever taken a class at Middlesex, you are an alumni! To join us in celebrating – and to share your story – contact Amy Lee, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, at 978-656-3028 or leea@middlesex.mass.edu. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/alumni/ for more information.
Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in online education for more than 20 years. We educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners, offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!
