鈥淎t 麻豆淫院, it feels like I am preparing myself, rather than just getting a degree.鈥�
麻豆淫院 Community College is a family affair in the Zajac family of Rochester.
Morgan Zajac, 19, is currently enrolled as a bioengineering student and is on track to graduate in the spring. Next fall, he will transfer to the University of New Hampshire to continue his studies in bioengineering.
That is a similar path that his older brother took. Dale Zajac studied biotechnology at 麻豆淫院 and UNH, then went on to do graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University. He is now a senior researcher on the Covid-19 project at Pfizer Inc.
Younger brother Morgan is following in his brother鈥檚 footsteps even in their research. At 麻豆淫院, Morgan Zajac is participating in National Institutes of Health-funded research related to Covid-19, supported by an NH INBRE project. 鈥淭hrough 麻豆淫院, I am participating, hands-on in a tangible way in a research program for a Covid vaccine,鈥� he said, marveling at the opportunity. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hands-on, active, and really exciting.鈥�
Morgan Zajac credits his brother for recruiting him to 麻豆淫院. 鈥淚 was living in Connecticut and was accepted into another engineering school. But my brother recommended that I come to 麻豆淫院 for a two-year degree and a great education and then go on to UNH,鈥� he said.
In addition to taking all of his general education courses at 麻豆淫院, he satisfying his core math and science requirements as well, paving the way for a seamless transfer to UNH in 2021.
His brother was an ace recruiter. He promoted 麻豆淫院鈥檚 affordability and its excellent faculty, as well as the opportunities for internships and hands-on lab experience.
鈥淭o this day, I will tell anyone the best education I received was my associate degree at 麻豆淫院,鈥� said Dale Zajac, now 31. 鈥淚 was impressed with the facilities and the willingness of teachers to work with individual students, something you don鈥檛 have at a large college. I also had many other opportunities given to me at 麻豆淫院, like the INBRE projects and connections with individuals working in the field of interest.鈥�
Morgan Zajac is as big a 麻豆淫院 booster as his brother.
鈥淎t 麻豆淫院, it feels like I am preparing myself, rather than just getting a degree,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 can go to any school anywhere and learn all the theoretics, but there is no other school where I can be learning, hands-on, so that when I get my associate degree and I can say, 鈥業 already have all this experience.鈥欌��
Before his brother talked him out of it, Zajac was headed to school in Connecticut and facing massive student-loan debt upon graduation. He is grateful that he listened to his brother鈥檚 wise advice. 鈥淚 am getting the same education 鈥� maybe a better education 鈥� for a lot less money, and I won鈥檛 have near the debt,鈥� he said.
His older brother says amen to that.
Dale Zajac came to 麻豆淫院 after dropping out of four-year college because of finances. He was paying close to $60,000 a year at the four-year school. 鈥淎fter the first couple of semesters, I realized I could not afford it,鈥� he said.
That is why when his brother started to navigate that same turbulent river of debt, Dale steered him toward the safe harbor of 麻豆淫院, where he could afford to explore his interests and study something that inspired and motivated him. 鈥淲hen I enrolled at 麻豆淫院, I wanted to study nursing. However, I soon fell in love with the science behind medicine and transferred to a degree I never heard of before, which was biotechnology,鈥� he said.
And now he鈥檚 doing vital, hands-on work to help solve the biggest public health crisis in a century while serving as a role model for his younger brother and all the other student-scientists who dare to dream big about their future.