Marie Trottier

Class of 1979

Unsure of what to expect, but committed to continuing college in the midst of recovering from a personal setback, Marie Trottier enrolled at The Mount in 1977. “The admissions office was so wonderful at a time I was in significant emotional need that it felt like this would be a great place to transition to while I still had a lot on my plate,” she recalls.

It’s a decision she doesn’t regret. There was a strong sense of community at The Mount, Trottier says. She got to know many students even though everyone commuted to classes. she says.

Then-Professors Pete Trainor and Pete Trinchero are among the instructors who had a positive influence on Trottier. “Pete Trainor…he had such and influence on my life, and he had such an influence on me in terms of my emotion and my spirit,” she says. “Pete Trinchero…every time I see a red-winged black bird, I think of him.” What these professors taught Trottier “has stayed with me all my life,” she explains.

Trottier graduated from MWCC in 1979 with a degree in business administration. She then transferred to Fitchburg State College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and business. Her career includes work for the former Simplex Time Recorder Company in Gardner and the former Data General in Westboro, a division of Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. in Everett. In 1989, she joined the staff at Harvard University as their disabilities compliance officer.

Nationally, Trottier has volunteered for and served on boards of disabilities organizations. This experience, combined with her management and negotiation skills, were essential to her winning the Harvard position. “I really felt this was an opportunity of a lifetime,” she says. “It was the job I wanted!”

Trottier continues to be involved with her alma mater. She was a college trustee from 1994 to 2006 and began a term on the MWCC Foundation Board of Directors in 2004. “For me, it’s this double source of pride,” she says. “I love this place.”