Highlander Highlights
Meet MCC Engineering student & Presidential Scholar, Mason Vanek!
Mason Vanek began attending MCC in the Fall of 2024. Mason is pursuing a mechanical engineering degree, with the goal of transferring to the University of Texas at Austin (UT) to earn an aerospace engineering degree upon completing his MCC coursework. Mason is a Presidential Scholar and a member of the NASA MINDS student organization. “We have several people on our team, we got funded and here we are in the spring about to submit our final prototype which is pretty cool, ” Mason said.
When asked about what sets MCC apart Mason mentioned, “It’s not a realistic option for me to go to a massive school and have a good shot at participating in research, it's something that would be a cool bonus, but here at MCC it’s a realistic option,” Mason said. He also spoke about the professors at MCC, “I would say a big bonus is you actually get to know your professors and get help from them, which is just pretty mind blowing. You don’t really get to do that in most freshman classes at big schools,” Mason said.
When speaking about his experience, Mason reflected on the endless student opportunities that MCC provides. “Here at MCC you get out what you put in, if you would’ve told me that we would have been doing the things we are doing now a year ago, I would have said 'you’re joking',” Mason said. Mason has dreamed of attending UT since childhood and is determined to earn a place in the Fall 2025 cohort, bringing him closer to fulfilling his academic aspirations.
Meet MCC Professor of Engineering, Paulina Sidwell!
Paulina Sidwell began working at MCC in 2012 as an adjunct instructor teaching Engineering and Mathematics, and shortly after transitioned into the role as a full-time Professor of Engineering. Sidwell was inspired to pursue a career in higher education due to her upbringing in a family of engineers and educators.
Paulina moved to Waco in 2012, where a friend mentioned that MCC’s engineering department—at the time consisting of just one professor, the amazing April Andreas—was looking for another instructor. Although she didn’t know much about MCC at the time, one visit to campus was all it took for her to apply. "I immediately fell in love with MCC’s campus. Everyone was so welcoming and kind. It’s hard to describe why, but this place just felt like home to me,” Sidwell said.
Sidwell, who has spent 13 years at MCC, has taught a variety of courses and reflected on her time working with students from diverse backgrounds, emphasizing the unique and valuable experiences each individual contributes to the MCC community. Regarding advice for current students, Sidwell encourages them to become familiar with the resources that MCC provides.
Sidwell also spoke about how a campus community is a vital part of a college student’s journey. “Feeling like you belong here can be a huge factor in student success. I hope all students have the chance to meet others who share their interests. I also strongly encourage students to take advantage of opportunities outside the classroom—whether it’s networking, extracurricular activities, or simply broadening their horizons," Sidwell said.
Sidwell was chosen as one of five honorees selected to receive the 2023 National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Awards.
Meet MCC graduate and current TCU student, Kaedon Smith!
Kaedon Smith began attending MCC in the Fall of 2021 and graduated in August 2023 with an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice. While at MCC, Kaedon was involved in a variety of extracurricular activities, such as the City of Waco’s- Police Law Enforcement Explorers Program, City of Waco’s Police Victim Services Volunteer Crisis Interventionist, and MCC’s The Stone Circle magazine, where he was awarded second place in visual arts photography for the 2021-2022 edition.
Kaedon spoke about his motivation to attend MCC, “MCC provided me with a great entry-point into higher education with a department that had fantastic faculty. It was also affordable, allowing me to complete my associates degree debt-free.” He spoke about what he enjoyed about the campus community saying, “I appreciated my professors allowing me to be on-call for crisis intervention services in McLennan County through the Waco PD Victim Services program while in class. They understood that when I got a call, I would need to respond. They not only allowed this but encouraged it!,” Kaedon said.
Kaedon’s advice for current students is to fully engage in all the opportunities that MCC provides, prioritize an active lifestyle, and embrace criticism. Kaedon said, “If someone talks you down or if life throws you stones, accept it as a challenge and confront it with everything you have—you only have one life.” Kaedon spoke briefly about how he was prepared for the next step in his educational journey, “MCC prepared me for TCU by showing me I can accomplish educational goals and objectives.”
Today Kaedon is enrolled at Texas Christian University, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. “I plan to enter into my long-term career with the heart to serve others, either in law enforcement, emergency medicine, or victim services,” Kaedon said.