After graduating from high school, Conor Burrell, of Westford, preferred to find a job while his parents wanted him to pursue a college education. They agreed on him working and taking classes part time at Middlesex Community College. At the college, he found a supportive community, a passion for writing, and an interest in education he will bring with him as he transfers to UMass Lowell (UML).
鈥淲ithout 麻豆果冻, I wouldn鈥檛 be on the path I am now, pursuing an English degree,鈥� Burrell said. 鈥淚 came into Middlesex hating education. I didn鈥檛 have a good experience in high school and did the bare minimum to get by. The further into Middlesex I went, and the more classes I took, the more I was looking forward to going to school. 麻豆果冻 changed my life course.鈥�
Burrell鈥檚 first day in Professor Tom Laughlin鈥檚 writing class, he was asked to find something in nature to observe and then write about what he saw. Impressed by the assignment, Burrell changed from a business major to liberal arts and sciences. He enjoyed how writing allowed him to focus on any topic he wanted, as well as taking classes with classmates who share similar interests.
Another of Burrell鈥檚 favorite things to do in class is workshop his writing. Both Laughlin and Professor Jonathan Bennett provided time to read through his work with peers and have the material critiqued. While improving the quality of his work, Burrell experienced the editing process he will face in future classes and career.
鈥淭he best parts about the program are the professors, my peers, and the ability to have a creative outlet and share our work,鈥� Burrell said. 鈥淚 found it beneficial to go to an event and have professors encourage us to push ourselves out of our comfort zone. It鈥檚 frightening, but useful. I鈥檝e always been more of a hands-on learner.鈥�
In his Editing and Publishing: Dead River Review class, Burrell completed the editorial process for the college鈥檚 online literary magazine. Working with a partner, he read over 50 works of poetry to select which ones would be included in the latest version of the magazine. The class also had visiting writers come to speak to students and discuss their experiences within the industry.
鈥淭his was one of my favorite classes,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou learn so much about how the editorial process works. I would make edits, my partner would make edits, then we鈥檇 convene on which ones we wanted to move forward with the rest of the class. We were also responsible for formatting our portion of the magazine.鈥�
As president of 麻豆果冻鈥檚 Creative Writing Club, Burrell honed his leadership and communication skills. This includes attending the trustees holiday dinner where he networked with board members, members of the Middlesex administration, and alumni who spoke to him about their experiences as a liberal arts and sciences major after moving on from the college.
After graduating from Middlesex in December 2024, Burrell will begin working toward a bachelor鈥檚 degree in English with a concentration in creative writing at UML in Spring 2025. In the future, he hopes to find a career combining his interests in writing and the environment 鈥� both of which he fostered his passion for at 麻豆果冻.
鈥淢y life would be different without Middlesex,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was able to experiment and wasn鈥檛 locked into taking classes full-time when I wasn鈥檛 ready for it. 麻豆果冻 is much more affordable, which is awesome when you don鈥檛 know what you want to do and want to try things out.鈥�