Tiffany Moreno

When Tiffany Moreno explains how she became BCC's program manager for Workforce and Community Education, she describes it as "kind of a miracle."

In late 2020, she was working as a phlebotomist at Berkshire Medical Center when she got a phone call seemingly out of nowhere. The person on the line asked if she were interested in teaching at BCC.

"I had no prior experience, but I thought, ‘I've been working in healthcare for 15 years. I can probably teach someone how to do this job really well.' So I just jumped right in," Tiffany recalls. She started teaching a phlebotomy class at BCC in 2020 — but just three days into her first class, the pandemic hit, and everything shut down.

Despite the initial roadblock, Tiffany didn't let it stop her. On the contrary, she excelled, crediting her many years of training experience at the hospital for providing a solid teaching foundation. During an evaluation at the end of teaching her first course, she recommended that BCC take over the entire phlebotomy training program.

"I must have made some sort of impression, because they wanted me to come back and teach again. I don't know how, after the whole pandemic shutdown craziness, but I came back," Tiffany says. She worked with the director to help develop the curriculum, put it together, and started teaching. Fast forward two years, and her career took another leap.

"Someone must have liked the way I was making things happen in the classroom, so they thought I would be a good program manager to do it with multiple programs — and here I am!"

Maybe Tiffany's background also has something to do with her resilience and success. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, she moved to New York when she was 14, eventually moving to Pittsfield in 2016 to start life with her husband Jesse.

"When I first arrived to the area, my only family was my husband and his mother, Renee. They have been my rock since I arrived in the Berkshires," says Tiffany, who knows a thing or two about taking opportunities when they present themselves.

I always tell my students that you never know where life will take you. Don't be afraid to take those risks — just put yourself out there.

Tiffany works mostly with adult learners who take classes in the evening to accommodate their work or family schedules.

"The big seller is healthcare. We get nursing students, or people looking to switch careers, or people who have been out of work for a little while," Tiffany says. The healthcare and social services component of the Workforce and Community Education program encompasses training for phlebotomists, EMTs, community health workers, registered behavior technicians, medical interpreters and community interpreters. Other program areas include computers/IT, education, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). And, the department is beginning to add trades programs for electricians, HVAC workers and more.

One of the most satisfying parts of the job is filling needs in the community, Tiffany says — and that's done not just by offering classes at BCC, but also by building community partnerships. She prides herself on building "great relationships" with partners like Berkshire Area Health Education Center (AHEC), Volunteers in Medicine, County Ambulance, Southern Berkshire Volunteer Ambulance Squad, Northern Berkshire EMS, MassHire and Berkshire Health Systems.

"We should not have to duplicate efforts. If there are people already doing the work, let's connect with them and streamline it. That makes a big difference for our students, because we are able to connect them to resources and to job locations," Tiffany says.

Many people are often reserved or skeptical when they start classes, Tiffany says, with some students unsure they are fit for college. But that attitude tends to change as soon as they discover BCC is there to help students succeed.

"Once the students realize you are actually there to help them, to meet the goals they've set for themselves, they light up," she says. "I see students bloom. I don't think I've ever done work that is so satisfying."

Clearly, Tiffany's work is getting noticed. She was chosen this year as a winner of BCC's Forty Under 40 awards, which came as a complete surprise to her.

"I was shocked! I've never won any awards," says Tiffany, who was one of more than 300 applicants for the awards. "I love what I do, and I guess that's reflected in the work I put out. I was humbled and honored to have been seen for the work that myself and the other amazing Forty Under 40 winners do and feel so passionate about."

All Forty Under 40 winners are granted $1,000 from Mill Town Foundation to regift to a nonprofit. Tiffany chose Latinas413.

As a Hispanic woman myself, it would have been nice to have a community of women who understand the way you grew up, your culture, and then set out into the world together. I love the idea of mentorship, of sharing resources.

Tiffany served as a mentor at Latinas413 for about a year, which she says she found very rewarding. It's not surprising, as she often mentors her students.

"When I talk to students, I think of how I would have liked the process to have been when I was just starting out. Having a support system, someone to help you walk through the steps, really makes a difference — having the guidance of someone to help you figure out what you want to do with your life," Tiffany says.

It's that kind of guidance that makes BCC so personal and approachable, Tiffany says. "We really do sit down with each student and have a heart-to-heart to try to figure out what's best for them, to see where their passion lies, and then we try to connect them with the program that connects with that passion."

Tiffany emphasizes that it's never too late to make a life change. She herself is enrolled in psychology classes, with a goal of finishing her associate degree, so she understands.

"I hear all the time, ‘I'm too old.' There's no such thing. You're never too old to do what you want to do," she says — and she is certainly an excellent role model as a doer. Tiffany serves on the Berkshire United Way board, volunteers with Latinas 413, takes classes and is generally always busy. "Whenever I have time I like to mellow, to recharge, maybe do a little Netflix bingeing," she laughs, although her "ultimate preference for downtime" is laying on the beach or by a pool.

Most of the time, though, you'll find Tiffany doing what she loves best: teaching her students and giving them the inspiration to succeed.

"I've seen my students out and about, and they're just so happy to be doing what they're doing. There's so much to feel good about."