Alumni Spotlight: Full Circle for NHTI Alum and Employee

As part of our ongoing series that highlights NHTI alumni, the following blog post is written by Marsha Bourdon, who graduated with her degree in Accounting and Business in the Class of 2003.

The road to success began in New Hampshire. Raised in the Lakes Region, I had the opportunity to work and play in a beautiful state and live near my family.

In 1997, I was working full time as the Bursar at NHTI. This allowed me to work in higher education assisting students with the financial aspects of paying for college and continue my education in accounting and business. I had the benefit of viewing NHTI through the lens of an employee of the Community College System of NH and as a nontraditional student taking classes part time.  I knew advancing my education would create new opportunities and help me grow both personally and professionally.

Work-life balance was important as I raised a family while working and continuing my education. NHTI has a beautiful campus with miles of walking trails, and the Wellness Center offered free fitness classes taught by certified instructors. These allowed me a mid-day break and a chance to take care of myself, which was a priority if I was going to successfully juggle multiple priorities. When I needed to find a quiet place to study, the Learning Commons had everything I needed to get my work done.

Transferring credits into NHTI was easy.  They accepted my experiential learning credits and other previous college credits, which helped move me closer to my goal of receiving my Associates Degree in Accounting and Business. Support from my advisor, instructors, peers, and family kept me motivated to continue and ultimately graduate with my degree. My instructors were patient and took the time to help me every step of the way from debit and credits in Accounting to Micro Economics. Each course moving me forward on my path to success.

A degree from NHTI positioned me to become eligible for advancement in my career, and I accepted a position at Lakes Region Community College in business and finance. Persistence had finally paid off! The opportunity to demonstrate proficiency in accounting and finance along with leadership skills managing multiple operational departments and be part of the College Leadership Team was both exciting and a bit scary at the same time! The support from our president (my mentor), family, and friends was priceless and kept me motivated to continue with my education.

This path took me to Southern New Hampshire University, where I was accepted into the Bachelor of Arts in Management and Public Administration. They accepted all of my credits from NHTI, and in 2019, I graduated with my degree from SNHU!

As a proud alumna of NHTI – Concords Community College and SNHU, I am now back at NHTI in my new role as the business operations officer and a member of the college’s Leadership Team, where I continue our purpose to serve students. In May, I look forward to another commencement and another opportunity to remember how much NHTI contributed to my success and to celebrate the success of our students!