Tess DiBurgo ‘24 always had an interest in helping others, and was looking for ways to turn that passion into a career. The Framingham native began her studies at community college, imagining a job in early childhood education. “I realized that wasn’t really where my interests were lying,” she said. “There are a lot of kids that don’t have access to resources to help them be well-rounded people. How do we get support for these kids? It’s getting support for the parents.”
That realization led her to consider human services as a major. She completed an associate’s degree, and then transferred to Fitchburg State to pursue its human services program. She found the coursework compelling, but struggled. She describes herself at that time as a disconnected student, sitting in the back of the classroom, but not really engaging with the material or her professors.
She left school before finishing her degree. She moved out of state, then back home, and worked as a home health aide for a local senior citizen. After a few years had passed, she was encouraged by family and coworkers to finish her degree. In 2023, she decided the time had come to get back on track.
This time, however, was different. DiBurgo was ready to reach out and connect, and realized the Fitchburg State community was full of folks eager to help, from the servers with whom she interacted at the McKay Cafe between classes, to her professors who guided her in the classroom.
“We are all human, and we all need that connection,” she said. “Having all those different people in your corner, and you’re in theirs, is really impactful. There are so many people you can lean on for help in those times of uncertainty, whether for advice or just a listening ear. When I came back I really focused on making those connections, and that’s when I got so close to faculty like professors Lilian Bobea, Christine Shane, Kori Ryan and Randall Grometstein.”
DiBurgo was also a peer mentor for Fitchburg State’s First-Year Experience, where she encouraged new students to take advantage of the resources to support them on campus, even for commuter students like herself.
Her own studies included electives in criminal justice, which - through The Washington Center - led to an internship with Voices for a Second Chance, serving citizens returning from incarceration.
“The work I did there was eye-opening and it affirmed my interest in the criminal justice field,” she said. “Interning there broke barriers between me and a population of people that are often ignored or criticized but still seeking help, and it is not up to me to determine whether they deserve it or not. I think that is the mindset of a lot of human services professionals. Working there helped boost my self-confidence in my abilities to work in a human services agency and use the skills I learned in school to help people, too.”
Since graduation, DiBurgo works as a counselor at a rape crisis center. “I use a lot of the skills I learned in school working directly with survivors impacted by sexual violence,” she said. “When you are passionate about human services as a field, you know there are people out there that need help. And helping people is such a broad term.”
With the encouragement of her faculty mentors, DiBurgo decided to continue her education with a master’s degree. She will enroll this fall in graduate school for a program on conflict resolution.
Professor Bobea met DiBurgo when she enrolled in her introduction to criminal justice course. “She quickly came to my attention as a student who had thoughtful opinions about the topics and readings that we discussed in class,” said Bobea. “In my view, Tess embodies the best qualities of Fitchburg students, and takes them to the next level, eagerly and energetically seeking out opportunities not only to learn but also to contribute to causes where justice and equality are at stake. I am proud that at Fitchburg State, we were able to provide Tess with contacts that allowed her to pursue her dreams through an internship in Washington, D.C. The intellectual and professional journey that Tess began with us here at Fitchburg continues—she has great expectations.”
DiBurgo is excited to start her own next chapter.
“I’m excited to see how the new knowledge and experience I get from the program will tie into all the things I’ve learned and all the things I’ve done,” she said. “I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I’m embracing the uncertainty and rolling with it, and really going for what is calling to me.”