Alumna Madison Pyburn
Occupation: VP of Strategic Partnerships, DommiiRescue; Licensed Realtor
What initially inspired you to attend NECC? Where were you on your journey prior to enrolling?
I was very motivated to go to college — I was the first in my family to attend! When I enrolled at NECC I was young and working at a small office nearby doing office and accounts payable work. This led me to take business and accounting classes. After doing well, I decided to major in accounting and that was a wonderful choice. I worked in accounting for several years and ended up working for a Marketing Firm that handled the Snoopy marketing for MetLife. It was so fun!
In what ways did NECC provide a formative experience for you? How did it help you on your educational and professional path?
NECC is so special to me. My journey has not been conventional. I mentioned I was the first in my family to attend college; I had to work and pay my own way. The affordability and local connections made it feel attainable, and it was! I was able to work while attending and took a mix of day and night classes. NECC made it possible to fit all this in with my schedule. The reality is, I knew in my heart that I wanted to “go all the way” with my education, but I was never completely sure how I would get there. I attended an open house at NECC to check it out and thought “I can do this!” It was ultimately that decision to just go “check out” the open house that led me to graduate from NECC and later transfer to UMASS when I was ready. The most exciting part of my journey… I just began law school! I am a 1L at Massachusetts School of Law in Andover. This is a true dream come true for me.
Do you have a favorite memory of NECC that you’d like to share with our audience?
While at NECC I showed up for night classes, and as I was walking through the halls one evening I saw, on the bulletin board, that there was an ad for Real Estate Salesperson licensing classes! I remember saying “Why not?!” And I signed up with a friend, and we had such a fun time in that class. Lo and behold, I got licensed and that has led to a 15+ year career of being a top producing agent and in my firm’s President Circle!
I’d love to hear more about your career journey. What led you to your current occupation?
I was very excited when I learned that NECC would be doing the licensing classes for real estate. I had thought about it before but, again, wasn’t sure how to do it. NECC offering it made it so easy! The stability that real estate offered was very appealing to me. After proving myself in my real estate career, my former broker had a start up tech company that was making an app for realtors and once I tried it, I was hooked! He offered me a role in the start up and I have worked my way up to VP of Strategic Partnerships. I work with large accounts like realtor associations and multiple listing services to get this product into the hands of realtors across the whole country!
What does a typical work day look like for you?
I am honored to have some flexibility to my day and life. I get to set my own hours and time block my days according to the hats I need to wear. On school days, I am heavily focused on my law school classes and studying. On non-class days, I can work on my VP role for a few hours before checking in with my real estate clients and setting up appointments for the weekend!
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I love being in control of my own life. I love that my roles encourage growth and prevent me from staying in the same spot. Real Estate is always evolving and has led me into a tech company that I wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to. Being challenged keeps me going. I love to learn and I refuse to stop learning. I want to grow my mind and expand my capabilities! I am very excited to see where law school will take me.
Anything else you’d like our audiences to know about you?
I am a VERY proud mom of three wonderful daughters: Sophie, 7; Piper, 4; and Chloe, 2. One important piece I think you should know: the decision to transfer my credits to UMASS came almost immediately after giving birth to my first born, Sophie. I looked at her and knew there was no way I could ask her to follow her dreams if I didn’t follow mine. I was going back to school and that was that. I have completed my bachelor’s and gotten into law school while building my family with my husband, Jay. We have a boat and you will often see us heading out of the Merrimack River to go fishing or to the Isle of Shoals.
Each month, the NECC Alumni Office shares interviews with our accomplished graduate population through its alumni newsletter. If you have a story to share and would like to be considered for a future edition, please fill in an Alumni Update Form or email alumni@necc.mass.edu.
