Gateway to a Better Life
Philip Sisson Prepares to Redefine the Academic Experience at Middlesex Community College.
Accessibility, equity and student success: These will be among Philip Sisson’s focal points as he begins his first year as the president of Middlesex Community College (MCC).
The Lowell resident, whose appointment took effect in July following a vote of approval by the college’s board of trustees, already has an intimate understanding of the unique mission and needs of the Middlesex community. For the past 11 years, he has served as the college’s provost and vice president of academic and student affairs, leading MCC through a range of student pathway and inclusion initiatives.
“I’ve already been part of the change process here for over a decade and am excited to be going about it in a more external way as president,” Sisson says. “I love this place.”
Sisson’s understanding of the community college experience, and the challenges that its students face, runs much deeper than his professional history. In some ways, it’s a role come full circle.
Originally from Newport, Rhode Island, Sisson grew up in a working-class household, the son of a custodian and a dry-cleaning attendant. In his younger years, he says, the idea of one day becoming a college president never would have crossed his mind.
“I was sort of a troubled child,” he explains. “Teachers identified me as problematic in school. I couldn’t concentrate, and completed things too quickly and inefficiently.”
That all changed thanks to the influence of one teacher, who recommended Sisson for enrollment in a gifted student program after seeing a spark in him. Sisson says his love of learning really took off in the more customized project-based environment.
“It was the formative moment that laid the foundation for my love of education,” he says.
Sisson, like many of the students he serves, was a first-generation college student. By the time he graduated from high school and enrolled at a nearby state college, he had become thrilled by the prospect of all that higher education could offer — and quickly dove in. His undergraduate career included roles as student government president, orientation leader, and member of the international parliamentary debate team.
“I was sort of a ‘Joe College,’” he says with a laugh.
Sisson went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in communications, theater and secondary education from Rhode Island College. He worked as a full-time faculty member at the Wheeler School in Providence and assistant director of the school’s gifted student program, serving in the same type of environment that fostered his own love of learning.
By this time, his passion for higher education had solidified. After returning to Rhode Island College for a master’s degree in counseling, Sisson went on to serve in many roles, first as director of the first-year experience at Nichols College, and later as a faculty member at Bristol Community College. He then worked in the administration of the Community College of Rhode Island, and as vice president for academic and student affairs at Cape Cod Community College before finding his home at Middlesex.
His recent appointment as president comes less than a year after MCC’s 50th anniversary, and during a time of transformation for the MCC community. Sisson’s work in the short-term will be focused on reimagining the community college experience in a post-pandemic world. With nearly 45% of Middlesex courses being offered in person this fall, a large part of his strategy will include the implementation of hybrid course options that will provide students more scheduling flexibility and allow them to better balance school with outside work and home obligations.
He also emphasizes that race equity, early college, and concurrent enrollment programs will be of high importance as the college continues to shape its vision.
“Lowell has the second largest Cambodian population in the U.S., and Middlesex has long been a proud designated Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution,” he says. “We will continue to focus on race equity and access so that we can set up our students for long-term success.”
Ultimately, Sisson says, the future of Middlesex Community College rests in its ability to remain attuned to its values and to the evolving needs of the Merrimack Valley region.
“It’s about asking, ‘What are we as an institution? What’s our unique proposition for the region?’” he says. “It’s about finding what needs to be articulated so that we can fight declining enrollment and bring people back to what we know is a gateway to a better life: That’s community college.”
True joined Home Health Foundation as a nurse case manager in 1999. In her new position, True will play a strategic role in executing the organization’s marketing and referral growth plans. True earned her BSN from Northeastern University and is currently pursuing an MBA in healthcare administration/management from Fitchburg State University. Even with nearly 25 years of experience as a registered nurse, True said she feels the same sense of commitment each day while working with her team to make a difference for patients and families throughout the region. True lives in Hampstead, N.H.
Edward Crockett works as a strategist and consultant with experience within financial services and diversified industrials sectors. Crockett, a Lowell High School alum, obtained an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. Since 2018, Crockett has worked as a consultant at EY-Parthenon. In his spare time, Crockett’s an avid fan of independent cinema, European soccer, the NBA, bookstores, craft beer, and creating a better future for his hometown of Lowell, Mass. He’s also currently engaged in a multiyear hunt for the world’s best pizza (Current Leader: Roberta’s of Brooklyn), and he counteracts that search with CrossFit, yoga and the occasional half-marathon.
Magaly Ronan serves as the assistant principal at the Greenhalge Elementary School in Lowell, where she has worked since 2017. Prior to this role, Ronan worked in various capacities for the district supporting curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Ronan was the first in her family to receive an undergraduate degree. A proud Lowell High alum, Ronan continues to be a lifelong learner through participating in ongoing graduate courses and workshop webinars. She lives with her family in Lowell and loves gardening, do-it-yourself projects like furniture refinishing and upholstering, attending music and art shows, relaxing by the pool or beach and most of all, spending time with her daughter, Corey Jayne.
Narin Sinuon works as an IT specialist that supports over 200+ employees within Lexia Learning and also serves on the company’s cultural committee. The Lowell High School alum worked at Lowell Catholic High School as their only full time IT support technician where he helped roll out their Chromebook initiative. During his spare time, Sinuon enjoys spending time with his two daughters and his wife. He enjoys anime, photography, and keeping up with the latest technology. Sinuon was one of the co-founders of Cultural Shock Apparel, having served as their director of marketing for six years. He is also involved with the local Lowell community having served on UTEC’s board as a teen, formerly served as a committee member on the Clemente Park Committee, and a former board member of the Angkor Dance Troupe.
Phitsamay Sychitkokhong Uy is associate professor in the college of education’s Leadership in Schooling Program and co-director of the Center for Asian American Studies at UMass Lowell. Uy went on to graduate from Boston College as the first and only Lao-American refugee to receive a Doctor of Education from Harvard University. With 25 years in the K-21 education field, her teaching experiences include being an elementary teacher, a literacy specialist, an Asian American studies instructor and a teacher education professor. Uy has been involved in various community boards of directors including Southeast Asian Resource Action Center. She currently serves on Mass Humanities, Pencils of Promise, and the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund and is a member of the Merrimack Valley DEI Consortium.
Yashana Rivera of Lawrence will graduate from Northern Essex Community College (NECC) with high honors and an associate degree in Nursing in May. A bi-lingual nursing graduate with a passion for delivering health care in Greater Lawrence, Rivera has been selected to receive the “29 Who Shine” award which honors class of 2021 graduates from each of the state’s community and public colleges and universities for their service. Rivera works part time as a medical assistant providing rapid COVID testing and has also volunteered with the Movement Family, an organization that helps the homeless by delivering meals and COVID care packages. She recently began administering vaccines in Lawrence as a volunteer. After passing her nursing boards, Yashana plans achieve her ultimate goal of becoming a family nurse practitioner serving the Lawrence community. In her free time, Rivera circuit and weight trains, practices yoga, and hikes. She also loves to travel and has been pirana fishing in the Amazon, climbed Macchu Picchu, and dined aboard a floating house in Lake Titicaca.
Deacon Mike Curren is a nonprofit manager and member of the Order of the Diaconate at St. Augustine Parish in Andover.
Art Durkin is a real estate agent and consultant at Keller Williams Realty in Andover.
Todd Johnson is a senior vice president at USI Insurance, as well as an attorney, who lives in Tewksbury. He is passionate about serving those in need.
Olivia Rosa works in resource development and marketing. She favors the quote: “The trees act not as individuals, but as a collective. Exactly how they do this, we don’t yet know. But what we see is the power of unity. What happens to one happens to us all. We can starve together or feast together.” – Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Jesus Suriel is a senior branch service manager at Enterprise Bank in Lawrence and is strong supporter of the fight against poverty and hunger.
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