NECC Paralegal Studies student CeTina DiPietro

CeTina DiPietro, who graduated from Northern Essex in May with an associate degree in paralegal studies, believes that because of the support systems in place at the college, “It’s honestly hard to fail here.”

DiPietro says, “as long as teachers at Northern Essex see that you’re trying, they’re willing to help you.”

A very strong student – she’s graduating with almost a straight-A average – DiPietro admits math and science courses are a struggle for her. While a student, she frequented the Math Tutoring and Resource Center on campus, which provides tutoring for all college-level math courses, and, as a result, received A’s in all three of her math courses.

She also found that combining online courses with traditional classroom courses helped her balance her busy life which includes an 11-year old daughter (with a second child on the way) and a 25-hour a week job working as an assistant manager at an area ice rink.

Also leading to her success were the workshops she took and the support she received from PACE (Pathways to Academic and Career Excellence), a federally-funded program designed to help first-generation and economically disadvantaged students succeed in college.

A former hair stylist and real estate agent, DiPietro was supporting her daughter on her own and came to Northern Essex in search of a career that offered a more stable paycheck. She is planning on transferring to Merrimack College where she will major in English and minor in pre-law. Ultimately, she plans to attend law school and eventually work in corporate law.