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Striking a New Chord: Retiree Finds Purpose in Manufacturing Guitars at QCC
March 2024
Marc Bolduc with a guitar created in the Advanced Manufacturing Lab, and a custom design element (right)
Professor of Music Jose Castillo playing the guitar that Marc Bolduc created for his manufacturing capstone project
To Marc Bolduc's surprise, when he finished a long career of computer systems engineering, he didn't actually enjoy retirement. Not one to sit idly by, Marc purchased a small CNC machine in hopes of making his own guitars. In the Spring of 2023 he enrolled in an advanced manufacturing course at QCC so he could learn a new programming language and put his CNC machine to use.
Fast forward a year and Marc has completed almost 20 guitars since he made his first playable instrument and has a part-time position assisting in QCC's advanced manufacturing lab.
A two-time cancer survivor, Marc feels blessed to still be pursuing his passions. One of those passions is to start a non-profit called "Play It Forward." The goal is to create inexpensive and easy to play guitars for teens experiencing long-term illnesses.
"Music is the best medicine in the world. Professor Lee Duerden has been helping me with the idea for my non-profit," Marc explained.
"Marc's guitar project was done for his MNT 216 Manufacturing Capstone Project. In that course, students must complete a large design/manufacturing project using the skills they have learned in the program," said Professor of Manufacturing Technology Damian Kieran, who added that Marc's passion for the project was a key to its success.
To Marc's delight, he felt right at home at QCC. His love for technology and working on cars and motorcycles made QCC's advanced manufacturing space feel like a second home for him. Additionally, his father, Ralph, was a teacher at the college years ago.
"There are a lot of bright people here. The other students seem very enthusiastic and I like the collaborative environment," Marc said.
While he noted that there are a variety of ages in his classes, everyone learns from each other and he loves being an older student.
"It's great that I can still have a passion, contribute to something and be part of a team."
As someone recently out of the full-time workforce, Marc enjoys working alongside people just getting their careers going. He hopes to see manufacturing make a comeback in Worcester and believes it's one of the best industries to get involved in these days, especially if you enjoy working with your hands and solving complex problems.
"The fundamentals are so important in manufacturing. The classes I've taken have been excellent and the professors really like what they do. QCC is a great place to start."
