West Windsor, N.J. – Among all the tough courses offered at Mercer County Community College (MCCC), Organic Chemistry I and II are considered among the toughest. Take them as Honors courses, and they’re even more demanding.

Five students have achieved extraordinary success in these and their other courses in the sciences and Liberal Arts. All are graduating with either high or highest honors. Some are focused on careers in the lab, while others plan to enter the healthcare field.

In addition to their determination, hard work and smarts, there are other patterns to be gleaned from their success stories. In each case, they developed friendships with their classmates and assumed leadership positions on campus, creating a network of support on both academic and personal levels. None of them hesitated to reach out to their professors when they needed help. All five were leaders in the Organic Chemistry Club and collectively worked hundreds of hours as peer tutors in the Science Learning Center (SLC). That means their own learning was reinforced as they endeavored to help others.

These science superstars are Courtney Silakoski, (A.S., Biology; A.S., Chemistry), the president of the Organic Chemistry Club and treasurer of the Mycology Club; Mykhaylo (Misha) Yanchyk (A.S., Biology, A.S., Chemistry), vice president of fellowship and service for Alpha Theta Gamma, MCCC’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society; Parbeen Swaich (A.S., Biology, A.S., Chemistry), vice president of the Mercer Medical Club and the Organic Chemistry Club; Lawrence Boadi (A.S., Biology), an active member of Alpha Theta Gamma and contributor to The College VOICE student newspaper; and Marianny Peralta (Biology, Chemistry), the secretary of the Organic Chemistry Club. Three of the five were recognized for achievement at the MCCC Board of Trustees meeting in April during Community College Month.

Boadi, Yanchyk and Peralta will stay on at Mercer for another year to earn an additional degree in the Medical Laboratory Technology program before transferring for their bachelor’s degrees.

Says MCCC's Chemistry program coordinator, Professor Helen Tanzini, “I had the pleasure to observe these students go from initial jitters in the lab to becoming a confident scientific community. Together, they mastered organic chemistry techniques and supported each other’s success. Members of the Organic Chemistry Club, as well as science students seeking help in the Science Learning Center, truly benefitted from the knowledge they shared."

Silakoski says she surprised herself by developing such a close circle of Mercer friends. “Starting school at 23, I had planned to stay to myself, but I found that making friends came easily. They were the first ones to celebrate with me when things went well and the first to offer help when things weren't working out. I honestly don't think I would have succeeded without their constant support,” she said, adding that she managed to push through even after a tragic loss in her family this semester.

Silakoski observes that she flourished in small classes that allowed her to get to know her professors and complete lab work she might not have had access to at a larger school. She plans to continue her studies in Biology and Chemistry at The College of New Jersey and hopes to one day work as a researcher.

Misha Yanchyk, who emigrated from Ukraine as a teen, had difficulty making friends in high school because of the language barrier. “All that changed at Mercer,” he notes. “I met a lot of students whom I now can call my true best friends. They helped me gain confidence in making conversations, and supported and motivated me throughout the college journey.”

In his activities in PTK, Yanchyk sought to make the most of his Mercer experience – and help others do the same. He believes that Mercer is the ideal school for students still deciding their future. “Professors and specialists are always ready to give advice or assist any student. I’m proud to call them my mentors and incredibly grateful for the tremendous amount of knowledge and experience Mercer has provided me,” he says.

Yanchyk was one of two MCCC students selected for the NJ Council of County College’s PTK Academic All-Star team this spring and will receive the Chemistry Award, and the Organic Chemistry and the Dowd Biology scholarships from the MCCC Foundation at Honors Convocation. He will pursue his bachelor’s degree in either Molecular Biology or Biochemistry. From early childhood, he has dreamed of becoming a doctor. He calls it “my life’s goal.”

Parbeen Swaich came to MCCC from Kolkata, India, in Fall 2020 in the midst of the pandemic shutdown. She recalls multiple challenges from the get-go, including getting used to a new environment and education system – and adapting to remote learning. "But the biggest challenge of all was dealing with loneliness and homesickness. I missed my parents dearly,” she observes.

Still, Swaich found a way to succeed. In Spring 2021, she began participating in Coffee Hours hosted by English Professor Bettina Caluori, and volunteering in the Microbiology Lab, one of the few classrooms open for in-person instruction.

When she was finally able to attend classes on campus in Fall 2021, Swaich got busy very quickly. In addition to her leadership roles in the Organic Chemistry and Mercer Medical clubs, she continued as a work study student in the Microbiology Lab and began tutoring in the SLC.

Swaich says she found friends she could bond with over a mutual love for science and a desire to excel. “Being a college student can be overwhelming, but having these wonderful people by my side made this journey a most memorable one.”

Swaich is also appreciative of the MCCC faculty. “They make sure that students receive the help they need to succeed. They are always an email away if you have a problem,” she notes. 

Swaich will continue her studies at Rutgers University in Biomedical Engineering. She hopes to one day work in research and development related to cancer and genetics.  She was the recipient of the Edward House Memorial Scholarship as a continuing student.

Like his science classmates, Lawrence Boadi has met a lot of great professors and students at Mercer – and a handful who have inspired him. “They’ve taught me how to study properly, approach difficult times, and lend an ear whenever I needed to vent,” he said, adding, “I believe each encounter has been for a reason.”

Before he became a tutor himself, Boadi took advantage of the SLC’s tutoring services. He encourages others to do the same. He received the prestigious Dr. Paul Janssen Memorial Scholarship as a continuing student. He will transfer to complete his bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology. His goal is to be a physician. 

Marianny Peralta dived into extracurricular activities as the college reopened for in-person instruction in Fall 2021. In addition to her science-related activities, she became a member of PTK and was  reccognized as an EOF and NJ STARS scholar.

Peralta says that with her friends’ encouragement, she has learned to believe in her skills as a student. “We would schedule study groups throughout the week and stay up with each other writing reports. Without their support, I can’t say with certainty that I would have earned the grades I did," she maintains, adding that she also had the opportunity to build close relationships with her professors. “I got to learn more about them as people. I view them as mentors."

As for many, the pandemic was a challenging time for Peralta and her family. She was unable to see her mother for many months, just as she was graduating high school and starting college. Once they were reunited, her mother contracted Covid, from which she made a slow recovery. “My mother’s illness and the time I spent away from her really made me realize how much I value her and the people who support me,” she says.

Peralta is thoroughly intrigued by the endless possibilities that exist in the world of science. “I owe it to myself to explore different paths. I am excited to gain some clinical experience as part of the MLT program to decide if healthcare is the right path for me.”

While some of her high school classmates viewed Mercer as the “easy way out,” Peralta says that was decidedly not the case. “I think that going to Mercer was the best thing I could have done. I truly feel prepared to go on to a four-year to get my bachelors and maybe even reach beyond the goals I have set for myself.”

 

Commencement 2022

Return to Current News

MCCC Home Page

 

 

From left, Misha Yanchyk, Lawrence Boadi, Marianny Peralta, Courtney Silakoski, and Parbeen Swaich. All five graduate with honors and have collectively served hundreds of hours as peer tutors in the Science Learning Center. Three will stay on at Mercer to complete their degrees in the Med Lab Tech program; all five will continue in the sciences at their transfer schools.

 

Professor of Chemistry Helen Tanzini with graduates, from left, Courtney Silakoski, Parbeen Swaich, Lawrence Boadi and Misha Yanchyk.