HARRISBURG, Pa. – Victor Svistunov’s journey to Harvard Medical School began 3,500 miles from home at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College. His decision to start at HACC not only brightened his future but also inspired his triplet sisters Maira, Melanie and Melissa Svistunova to follow in his footsteps.

Maira, Melanie, Melissa and Victor hail from Cape Verde (also known as Cabo Verde), an archipelago of 10 volcanic islands located approximately 350 miles off the West Coast of Africa. 

While Cape Verde gained independence in 1975, residents face many challenges, including unemployment, poverty and limited medical access. Witnessing these issues firsthand inspired Victor to pursue a career in medicine. “I’ve seen people die of simple infectious diseases,” he told Bucknell University’s Pathways magazine. “It sparked my passion to help.” 

Victor began his journey to become a physician at HACC in 2017 when he enrolled in the Pre-Health Professions Program. During his time at the College, HACC professors helped Victor refine his dream. He said, “I always wanted to be a physician, but inspired by my biology professors at HACC, I decided I also wanted to contribute to society and help advance science, and as a result, I gained a big passion for research.”

At HACC, Victor also overcame the self-doubt he experienced when he was younger. “I had the fear of the unknown and my mindset was constantly changing,” he said. Gradually, that mindset shifted, and Victor realized that “I can achieve anything I set my mind to.” He received a scholarship through the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team and was named as a semifinalist for the highly selective Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.

While their older brother pursued his dreams abroad, Maira, Melanie and Melissa were making their own goals, the seeds of which had been planted years prior. In 2017, when they were 12, they accompanied Victor on his tour of HACC’s Harrisburg Campus. During that visit, Melissa told a HACC employee that the College would become her future school. However, the sisters weren't sure this could become a reality.

"Coming to the U.S. was an idea that seemed unrealistic for three sisters from a third-world country due to the extraordinary expenses," said Melissa. However, "HACC opened a door, one through which I walked and saw a chance to succeed as an individual in a renowned country like the U.S."

The triplets' desire to attend HACC grew during Victor’s visits home. “He spoke highly of the quality of education, the professors’ patience and their effective teaching methods,” said Maira.

Melanie added, “Through my brother, HACC has taught me that there doesn't need to be an extrinsic reason to do your job, but simply because you love it. I want to directly experience what my brother did. That is why I chose HACC.”

In fall 2023, all three sisters followed in Victor’s footsteps and enrolled in HACC’s Biology Program. They are thriving at the College.

“HACC has provided me with an environment for learning with exceptional professors and doctors at an affordable cost, along with access to various lab equipment, something I had never used or practiced back in my home country,” Melissa said. 

“I already feel twice as motivated to study as I did in high school,” added Melanie, who is also benefiting from HACC's highly skilled and dedicated faculty. "I have noticed that they are very passionate about what they do," she said. "It is a huge motivator to keep doing my best. I believe nothing is more admirable than a passionate person. Every day in class, I can look at my professors and, in a way, see who I want to become."

After HACC, Maira wants to attend dental school and become an orthodontist. Melissa plans to take advantage of HACC's wealth of transfer opportunities, and Melanie, like her brother, aspires to enter the field of medicine.

Meanwhile, Victor is continuing to make big moves. After graduating from HACC in 2020, he transferred to Bucknell University on a full-tuition scholarship thanks to the Bucknell University Community College Scholars Program. There, he majored in biology and graduated in 2022. Afterwards, he joined Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital as a research assistant and is pursuing a doctorate in gastroenterology.

“I attended HACC and I don’t regret anything,” Victor said. “My knowledge has greatly improved and my passion for medicine and research grew unbelievably. Now, I realize that there is nothing wrong with thinking big.”

Photo Captions:  
1. John J. “Ski” Sygielski, MBA, Ed.D., president and CEO of HACC, with triplet sisters and HACC students Maira, Melanie and Melissa Svistunova
2. Victor Svistunov graduated from HACC in 2020

About HACC
HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, is the first and largest of Pennsylvania’s 15 community colleges. HACC offers approximately 100 career and transfer associate degree, certificate and diploma programs to approximately 12,000 students. Also, the College serves students at its Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York campuses; through virtual learning; and via workforce development and continuing education training. For more information on how HACC is uniquely YOURS, visit hacc.edu. Also, follow us on X (@HACC_info), follow us on Instagram (@HACC_edu), like us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HACC64) and use #HACCNews.