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Suzanne Pooler is 40, married, and has a 16-year-old daughter. “I didn’t go to college until years after high school. I had a family first. Now I’ve got a degree in biotechnology and a new career."
Suzanne worked as an administrative assistant for 20 years. “I was really good at what I did, but ultimately, it wasn’t fulfilling. I needed something more.” She started by taking a skills assessment course at her local community college — a class designed for people who’d been out of school for a while. It provides a review of study skills, identifies students’ strengths and interests, and helps them decide what they want to do. Suzanne’s assessment pointed her toward math and science. “Math was definitely a strength in high school, and science really grabbed me," she says. "I’ve always been fascinated by it, trying to solve the unknown with clues you can’t see with the naked eye.”
Suzanne enrolled in the biotechnology program at Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts. It was affordable, offered flexible schedules, and allowed her to say close to home. Toward the end of her program, a professor submitted Suzanne’s résumé to a biotechnology company, and she got a job.
As a production support associate, Suzanne helps grow cells that produce the proteins used in cancer research and treatments. She works in a special, sterilized clean room that prevents bacteria from contaminating the cells. “I love my job. It gives me an opportunity to use the skills I learned at community college — to expand them, actually — and to be part of the quest for a cure for cancer. There’s so much good that can come from this process, and I’m learning a lot. Looking back, I think my family was a little surprised when I decided to go back to school, but they’re really proud of me. My daughter thinks it’s cool, and she’s 16, so that’s saying a lot.”