Bay State College Grad Turned Local Entrepreneur - Alumni Success

Driving down route 28 in Middleboro, MA, there’s one local business you can’t miss.  With its bright yellow and red exterior and fun fixtures out front, Donna’s Dawgs is THE spot in Middleboro to stop for a great lunch. Offering hot dogs, lobster rolls, soups, and more, Donna’s Dawgs has become a popular spot for police and fire personnel from local towns.

The proud owner is one of our own Bay State College Taunton grads. Donna Vickery enrolled at Bay State back in 2009 in our Business Management program.

An adventurous person by nature, Donna needed to conquer a new goal.  And setting her eyes on a degree in business was just was she needed.  Not long after beginning her journey at Bay State College, Donna decided to not only study business, but start her own.

“I had worked in the restaurant industry for so many years, and had a good handle on how the industry worked,” says Donna. “So I thought ‘why not?’ I had always wanted to be my own boss.”

Since opening, Donna’s Dawgs has thrived mostly on word of mouth. In fact, our Taunton Campus classes often take field trips to visit the local establishment and ask Donna advice on entrepreneurship. And, of course, to enjoy some of her specialty hot dogs.

Rivaling its eye-catching exterior, the interior of Donna’s Dawgs speaks to what’s most important to Donna.  The walls are covered with “proud to be an American”, “support the troops” memorabilia.  A proud mother of an award-winning veteran, Donna spoke to how important it is to her to honor our military and veterans.

“It was one of the hardest times of my life when my son was deployed to Afghanistan,” she says. “ I started with some posters and photos of my son and people have stopped by to give me more photos and signs.  It’s such a supportive community.”

Look to the left of the military wall and you’ll see some  other certificates that are important to her – her Bay State College diploma and  Honor’s Certificates from almost every term she attended Bay State. 

“I loved my time at Bay State, and still stay close with the friends I made there. I even got the chance to have classes with my daughter who started her program after I did.”

Many thanks to Donna for letting us stop by for a visit. If you're in the area, we suggest you do the same!