QCC Offers a Clear Pathway to Mathematics Success for Shrewsbury Student

As a dual enrollment student from Shrewsbury High School, Cara Freedman came to Quinsigamond Community College looking for a way to fulfill her dream of having a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) career. She had been struggling with mathematics in high school and feared she might never attain her career aspirations. According to Ms. Freedman, she had done well in math during middle school, however, once she hit high school there was a disconnect.

“Math became a problem in high school. I really struggled and didn’t get along with my teacher, which may have been a contributing factor,” she said. “I couldn’t understand why I was learning about angles and formulas that I didn’t feel had any real world application. I felt that school was not truly for learning and I was discouraged about attending college.”

Unsure what to do next, Ms. Freedman turned to a friend of hers who was in a dual enrollment program at QCC. She decided to try and take a few college courses at the college. As a new student, she was required to take the Accuplacer Placement Test before registering for any English and mathematics courses.  She took the test a bit fearful about how she would place. Her score placed her into the pre-calculus class. In Shrewsbury High School she had been placed in a higher level mathematics class.

“I feel like QCC starts you at a good level and doesn’t cram everything together. Needless to say, I found a whole new love for math that had been missing in my life since middle school. I felt I was treated fairly and given all the resources to learn and succeed in each class,” she said. “Going here from high school truly was a breath of fresh air.”

Ms. Freedman said her mathematics professors gave her the support and framework in math that had been missing in high school. At QCC, she said her professors offered her a way to learn the value of mathematics by using real work examples that she could relate to and appreciate. While acknowledging that calculus and trigonometry were her biggest challenges, she credits her QCC professors, most especially Professor Andreana Grimaldo, with helping her to succeed and flourish in math.

“Having teachers that treat you as an equal human was great. They wanted to help me learn,” she said, adding that she also took advantage of Professor Grimaldo’s office hours when she needed extra guidance.

Ms. Freedman completed her senior year at QCC and enrolled in QCC’s engineering associate degree program. She continued to excel in all her courses – courses that emphasized mathematics and sciences. She said she took advantage of the support services QCC offered; frequently utilizing the math lab and interactive online tools.

Today, Ms. Freedman is planning to graduate in May 2018, with the goal of attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) this fall and obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

“I actually applied to WPI right out of high school but got waitlisted and didn’t get in,” she said, adding that through QCC’s current transfer articulation agreement with WPI, QCC engineering students with a 3.0 G.P.A. are able to transfer into WPI engineering program as a junior.

“This will save me a lot of money and I am hopeful that I may even receive some scholarships,” she added.

To learn more  about QCC's Mathematics Department or QCC's Dual Enrollment program, visit http://www.qcc.edu .