“Great Bay gave me the confidence to believe in myself.”

Leo Bourbeau enrolled at Great Bay Community College in search of an affordable education and a new career. He found those things and much more, including the confidence to see himself in a different light. “My time at Great Bay helped reshape my perception of myself and taught me never to underestimate my abilities,” said Bourbeau, 37, of Danville.

He graduated with an Associate Degree in Information Systems Technology and currently works as a Tech Specialist 1 in Great Bay’s IT department. His job involves making sure the computer labs are set up properly and the college’s audio and video equipment functions as it is supposed to. He also provides occasional Helpdesk support to faculty and students, as well as remote assistance.

He chose Great Bay after a 10-year career in retail because it offered a pathway to a better, stable and satisfying career. The college was conveniently located, offered flexible schedules and was “surprisingly affordable,” he said. “This made attending college a reality. The quality of education I received was well worth the money.”

He flourished at Great Bay, graduating in spring 2017 with honors and as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges. “This was something I never dreamed I would have accomplished. Great Bay gave me the confidence to believe in myself,” he said.

He most appreciated the professors who took the time and interest in his success, and tries to match their commitment to student success in his job in IT. “Knowing that my success mattered to them gave me the drive and ambition to continue along the pathway to earning my degree,” he said.