STCC student discovers her calling in tax and bookkeeping

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – When Maria Renta-Marrero ’25 enrolled at Springfield Technical Community College, she didn’t expect two elective courses – Federal Income Tax and Bookkeeping – to spark a career transformation.

Born in Puerto Rico, Renta-Marrero is a Springfield resident and mother of two. She had previously left behind a successful two-decade career in banking to care for her health and focus on her youngest daughter. Going back to school was a leap of faith.

“I thought my ‘career life’ was over,” said 42-year-old Renta-Marrero. “I was just home taking care of my kid. I gave up on school. But this year brought me all the way back. I still got some life left in me – let’s do this.”

She decided in August 2024 to apply to STCC after her daughter, who had previously been home schooled, started going to public school. She found herself with time on her hands. “I thought, ‘What am I going to do with myself?’ I saw an ad for STCC and in a matter of a week I was enrolled in classes.”

Thanks to MassEducate/MassReconnect, state programs that cover the cost of community college for Massachusetts residents, Renta-Marrero was able to return to school for free. Having already earned some college credits when she was younger, she was able to graduate less than a year later. She obtained an associate degree in Business Administration from STCC in May 2025.

During her year at STCC, she took online and hybrid classes, including the federal income tax and bookkeeping courses taught by Professor Anthony Rondinelli. What started as a way to fulfill an elective requirement quickly became a revelation.

“For years, I had been doing bookkeeping manually without even realizing what I was really doing,” Renta-Marrero said. “Every year at tax time, I’d hand my customers a notebook and tell them, ‘Bring me receipts, track your income.’ I didn’t know there was a better way until I took these classes.”

Maybe I’ll come back and work with Professor Rondinelli instead of being his student. That never crossed my mind before. These classes sparked something new in me. Maria Renta-Marrero, STCC Class of 2025 graduate

Rondinelli immediately noticed Renta-Marrero’s drive. “She’s a self-starter. She took both the tax and bookkeeping classes and excelled in both. She could have been my assistant.”

Renta-Marrero earned a near-perfect average and used what she learned in class to sharpen the financial skills she’d practiced informally for years. “The bookkeeping class taught me that what I was doing had a name, and there’s software like QuickBooks that makes it easier,” she said. “It opened my eyes.”

What began as a small internship for class credit turned into a job and then a promotion. Liberty Tax offered Renta-Marrero a seasonal position, then quickly promoted her to a managerial role. “That wasn’t even supposed to happen,” she said. “It just all fell into place.”

Rondinelli, who partners with local employers to create real opportunities for students, wasn’t surprised. “Steve Kowalski from Liberty Tax told me, ‘If your students work hard, we’ll give them the chance to prove themselves and offer them more.’ That’s exactly what happened with Maria.”

Renta-Marrero now plans to finish her bachelor’s degree in finance at Westfield State University and pursue a master’s in accounting with a concentration in taxation. She’s also considering a future in higher education.

“Maybe I’ll come back and work with Professor Rondinelli instead of being his student,” she said. “That never crossed my mind before. These classes sparked something new in me.”

Now a STCC graduate with a drive to continue her higher education journey, she has shown resilience through reinvention and rediscovery. She balances raising a 15-year-old daughter, helping care for her older daughter’s four children, managing a business, and pursuing her educational goals, all while empowering others to think differently about what’s possible.

“I want to be present for my family,” she said. “Working for myself works. And now, I see that I really do have a business. I’m going to make it grow.”

Her success represents the mission of STCC in action.

“Maria's story of resilience and discovery is remarkable,” said Dr. Christopher Thuot, Vice President of Academic Affairs at STCC. “We’re proud to support students like Maria who bring incredible life experience into the classroom.”

Her advice to other students considering Rondinelli’s courses? “Go in with an open mind. I thought I knew everything, but I learned so much. These electives could change your life.”

Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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