It takes a lot of energy, focus and a high degree of discipline to keep up with Taylor Bellegue.

Balancing studying full-time as a Computer Science adult-learner at Montgomery County Community College, while working part-time as a business intelligence analyst at the College and gearing up to transfer West Chester University this fall, means Bellegue doesn’t have a lot of free time on her hands.

That said, her hard work is paying off.

The 33-year-old from Norristown has been named a Transfer Pathway honoree of the 2023 All-Pennsylvania Academic Team, which is sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for two-year colleges, and The Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.

Transfer Pathway honorees plan to transfer to a four-year college after graduation. They must have completed at least 36 credits at a community college with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. Pennsylvania’s community colleges partner with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education to provide scholarships to Transfer Pathway students, providing two years of tuition at any PASSHE school.

“It hasn’t been easy. I’ve put in a lot of work gladly. A lot of work. It just goes to show, you get out of it what you put into it. My work is paying off,” said Bellegue, who was inducted into PTK in 2020. “That’s a really good feeling. It’s incredibly encouraging.”

Business Administration major Omar Ali was also named to the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team. Computer Networking & Cyber Security major Anthony Gibase was named to the All-Pennsylvania Workforce Team. The Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges recognized the All-Pennsylvania Academic and Workforce Teams during an awards banquet in Harrisburg March 27.

Workforce Pathway student honorees plan to enter the workforce after completing a certificate or associate degree at a community college. Workforce Pathway students must have a minimum of 12 college-level credit hours at a community college and a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Driven to succeed

Bellegue, a 2008 Boyertown Senior High School graduate, is set to graduate in May. Her typical day begins between 5:45 and 6 a.m. when she logs onto her computer and sips a hot caffeinated beverage in complete silence in her living room.

“This is when I do my leisurely research. Google is fantastic at suggesting articles. It’s fascinating all the cyber security updates and articles coming out. If there’s a data breach, I’ll read about what is happening. If Excel has an update, I’ll read about that. Computer Science and technology related articles. That is the extent of my interaction with any type of media or daily news. Other than that, I live under a rock on purpose. My head is in the database. I don’t watch TV. I intentionally avoid it.”

Then it’s time to start school. This semester her classes are held Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8-9:15 a.m. She’s taking statistics. After that, she logs onto work, which is 100 percent remote. Between 1:30 and 3 p.m. she finishes work for the day, before getting back to her schoolwork.

“It fits perfectly with my schedule,” she said. “I keep going with my education. I take time to work on essays. Like the one that got me this honor. The College is a fantastic work environment.”

Outside of work and schoolwork, she’s taken up swimming as a hobby.

“It’s just so low impact, I feel the workout without feeling the pain,” she said. “That’s what my typical day looks like.”

Apple’s voice assistant, Siri, begins to tell her to start winding down for the evening by 9:30 p.m. “and I'm almost always asleep before 10:30 p.m.,” she said.

Finding her way

Bellegue wasn’t always so focused. After high school, she enrolled at MCCC briefly but left for personal reasons. She enrolled again over a decade later to pursue a Cloud Computing Certificate. She was going back to school as an adult learner but wasn’t going to let that stop her.

“It’s always a good time to get an education,” she said. “I’m making up for lost time but that’s OK, I still have time and it’s always a good time to pursue your goals.”

At the time, her academic advisor, Robert Heller, suggested she take an entry level computer programming course.

“Toward the end of the semester, Computer Science Professor Dr. Kendall Martin recommended I switch to earning an associate’s degree in Computer Science,” Bellegue said previously. “I was in a place in my life where I was definitely willing to take direction from people from knowledge and an education skillset. So, I switched, and I had her for three semesters after.”

She was encouraged to join the Women in Science and Technology or WIST, an initiative which encourages and supports female students in the computer science and technology fields.

“I was very overwhelmed with beginning school again,” said Bellegue. “And if (Director of Enterprise Software Systems) Mary Beaver hadn't followed up (more than once) then I wouldn't have been a part of WIST. She made sure that I met with them and made sure that I had all their tools at my disposal for success. That’s the reason why I got involved with WIST and stayed with WIST.”

Beaver fondly remembers meeting Bellegue.

“Taylor was one of the very first participants of the WIST group.  I remember being struck by her enthusiasm. She was engaged right from the start,” she said. “I am so proud of the personal and professional accomplishments Taylor has made since our initial meeting back in 2019. Taylor saw an opportunity and took it. It is now propelling her to a bright future. Taylor’s success is what we hoped the WIST group could achieve and what we as educators wish for all of our students! Good luck Taylor!”

Meanwhile, Martin recognized the Heller’s ability to recognize Bellegue’s potential early.

“Rob Heller was one of the first to see more possibility in Taylor's future than she saw for herself,” said Martin. “He has such a great relationship with faculty, he could come to me and ask how we could help her develop a higher set of aspirations. Because of the dedication Mary Beaver had invested in creating WIST, we had a range of ways to open up Taylor's vision of her future.” 

By late 2020, Bellegue landed a role as a student worker at the Help Desk, and Martin had tapped her to co-lead the new Java Bootcamp program, now called Codebreakers Club, which helps Computer Science students looking to sharpen their skills in coding.

In January 2022, she was hired at her position with the College in the IT Department.

“Work has been one of the greatest mentally stimulating things in my life. I absolutely love my job. I love the people I work for, the College’s mission and what they stand for. I’ve been doing a lot of on-the-fly learning. It’s nice to be able to keep up with it and it’s nice to have a team of people around me who are so encouraging.”

Bellegue said her success couldn’t have been possible without the mentors she’s gained since joining MCCC.

“The IT department, all of them have been essential to my journey. Yes, I put in the to work but they’ve helped me to get here. Shout out to Rob Heller, Kendall Martin and (Senior Software Developer) Robert Vogel. Without them, I wouldn’t be on this path. I’d be wandering lost. Kendall has been phenomenal mentor.”

“I met Taylor when she started working at the IT Help Desk,” said Vogel. “As a former Help Desk worker, myself, I like to introduce myself and offer any insight or assistance new student workers may need. Taylor learned how to excel in that position so quickly and it helped the department recognize her as an asset to the team. She is a well-respected member of the IT department, and it is a privilege to work with her.”

Heller had similar glowing remarks.

“Taylor is the kind of student that seeks out challenges, mentorship, and leadership opportunities. I have been fortunate to work with Taylor as her Academic Advisor and am always amazed at her persistence and hunger for knowledge,” he said. “Frankly, Taylor models the ideal journey for a student at Community College. I was able to collaborate with her to create a web of mentorship, opportunity, and future pathways and she put in the work. Taylor is already an astounding student and professional and her potential is limitless.”

With the PTK scholarship, she’s headed to West Chester University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. She’s also received a vocational training scholarship through Lockheed Martin. She’ll continue to work at MCCC around her class schedule at West Chester.

“I have no idea what’s in store for me next outside regular routine,” she said. “But I’ll keep putting in the work.”