February 20
Thomas Morehead at NY Creates.
Thomas Morehead ‘26 had worked in the food service industry for about 20 years, and though he earned a good living as a bartender, there was a nagging thought in the back of his mind: shouldn’t he go back to school?
“I always kind of pushed it off—I'm too old for it now, I'm too far out of the game, I've made my choice and I need to stick with it,” Morehead said.
Still, he wanted more, and, having always been curious as to how and why things work the way they do, he filled his spare time reading about science and space travel.
One day, he received a flyer in the mail from North Shore Community College (NSCC), and learned that he could earn a college degree for free. Through the MassEducate and MassReconnect Free College programs, many Massachusetts residents can enroll at a community college at no cost.
That flyer put Morehead on an exciting new path in electrical engineering, a challenging field that allows him to follow his curiosity and tackle real problems.
Internship Experience Lights the Way
As he began his studies, Morehead was not immediately drawn to engineering, but he was open minded and willing to take any opportunity that came his way.
Through a biology course at NSCC, he took an internship at Appledore Island, an island seven miles off the coast of Maine that is home to Shoals Marine Laboratory, jointly operated by Cornell University and the University of New Hampshire. He spent a week working with great black-backed gull chicks, including banding and testing for bird flu—an internship that proved to be an unusual but effective catalyst for an interest in engineering.
Due to its remote location, the island laboratory is self-sufficient, handling its own electricity, drinking water, and wastewater needs. During his internship, Morehead got to connect with the engineers who make all that possible, and he learned about all of the doors an engineering degree can open. He left the island inspired to become an engineer.
Exploring a New Career
Introduction to Engineering, taught by NSCC Professor Mary Beth Steigerwald, helped hone Morehead’s curiosity into a career.
“We're so dependent on all this technology around us—our cell phones, our computers, even the lights we use every day. I didn't know how that stuff worked; it was all like magic to me. That inspired me to get into electrical engineering: I want to know how the world works.”
Not only did the class teach Morehead about the different types of engineering and the history of the field, but it taught him how to build a successful path to further education.
“In that course, I was able to map out all the courses I would need to take at UMass Lowell to become an electrical engineer,” he said.
As he continued taking engineering courses, Morehead gained additional valuable internship experience through NSCC.
“At NSCC, engineering students gain real-world experience from day one through hands-on lab work, project-based learning, and access to our physics, advanced manufacturing, and electronics lab facilities. Industry and university tours, guest lectures from engineering professionals, and active student clubs connect classroom learning with real workforce practices,” said Steigerwald.
“Through partnerships such as the Northeast Consortia for Advanced Integrated Silicon Technologies, funded through the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education program, students also benefit from paid integrated photonics training and micro-internships that build skills and boost career readiness.”
Morehead spent a week at NY Creates, which is housed in the Albany NanoTech Complex and where over 3,000 scientists and engineers from more than 200 partner organizations develop new breakthroughs in chip technology. He also interned at the Lab for Education and Application Prototype (LEAP) at Stonehill College, where he worked with state of the art lab equipment and received hands-on experience building circuits and a photon detector.
Morehead and other students in cleanroom suits at NY Creates.
Transfers Made Easy: The Sky’s the Limit
After graduating from NSCC this spring, Morehead plans on transferring to the University of Massachusetts Lowell to pursue a bachelor’s in electrical engineering.
“UMass Lowell and North Shore work closely together, and that makes it very easy to transfer,” Morehead said.
He didn’t expect to land a job in the industry until he earned his bachelor’s degree, and he certainly didn’t expect to get one before he earned his associate degree, but he recently started a new job as an electronics test technician at Raytheon.
That opportunity also came through NSCC: a Raytheon employee visited campus to talk to students about the opportunities available at the company, and encouraged Morehead to apply. He was thrilled to land an interview.
“It was a very technical interview, but I knew most of the answers based on information I've learned at North Shore, so I felt very well prepared,” he said.
In this position, Morehead uses equipment to test electrical components, giving him valuable experience in the field.
Come the fall, you will find Morehead working at Raytheon and starting classes at UMass Lowell as he forges a new career for himself. He’s not sure what exactly the future holds, but his dream is to work in the aerospace industry.
“I mean, who doesn't want to launch a rocket?”
Learn more about NSCC’s Engineering Science Transfer program.