Sara Oswald

Sara Oswald went from MTC to Harvard to Division Vice President for an International Board.

Midlands Technical College (MTC) alumna Sara Oswald is achieving a dream that she never even foresaw being a possibility. As a student at Midlands Technical College, Oswald transferred her entire Associate in Arts degree to Harvard, and was the first student in MTC history to do so.

"I found Midlands Technical College after I realized I needed to create a new path in my life. My family has lived in rural Richland County for seven generations, and like the rest of my family, I went straight to work right out of high school. I was doing pretty well in sales and marketing until I was downsized. Out of work and without a degree or certification, I chose to enroll at Midlands Technical College. There is no way I could have gone to Harvard without graduating from Midlands Technical College. I had to go to MTC to get the credits I needed to show that I was Harvard material.”

After graduating cum laude from Harvard’s Extension School with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts, she returned to MTC as a student advisor for the college’s Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) International Honor Society, the student organization where she was president as a student.

“Before Phi Theta Kappa, I did not realize that as a two-year college student, I had the opportunity to successfully transfer to the most competitive universities in the world,” said Oswald. “My education at Midlands Technical College prepared me for academically rigorous work, and Phi Theta Kappa provided the pathway to an Ivy League education funded by an exclusive scholarship.”

In October 2017, Oswald was selected to serve as the Division One Vice President for PTK’s Advisory Board. One of only 25 board members worldwide, Oswald represents the states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, and the District of Columbia.

Oswald was the first in her family to graduate college. She said her relationship with MTC and PTK has had a tremendous impact on the path she took as a student and as a professional in higher education.

“I went from Midlands Technical College to Harvard University due to a combination of tenacity and patience,” said Oswald. “The support I’ve received from both MTC and Harvard’s faculty and staff has granted me the confidence to achieve the greatest dreams.”

"Midlands Technical College opened the door to a whole new world for me – and the out-of-pocket cost for my entire education from MTC to Harvard was $1,891."

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