NECC Commencement
Congratulations to the NECC Class of 2019!
More than 1,100 associate degrees and certificates were awarded to students from all over the Merrimack Valley at Northern Essex Community College’s 57th Commencement on Saturday, May 18, 2019.
In his commencement address, Bob Rivers, CEO of Eastern Bank, told the Northern Essex graduates and guests “In short, you must “aim high”, not only in your chosen field, but in your ideals, in your beliefs, and in your expectations of others and our society,” he said. “And if you happen to fall short, know that you – and our community and our country – will be so much further ahead, so much better, than if you had settled for what others might consider more reasonable expectations.”
Rivers is a leader of social justice and sustainability causes, and an advocate for a more inclusive community.
In introducing Rivers, NECC President Lane Glenn said “Bob has consistently used his platform as a bank president to rally support for corporate inclusivity and fight discrimination based on race, gender, or sexual orientation.
Here is a Rivers’ speech (PDF).
Student Speaker, Yexis Hechavarria, who graduated with high honors and an associate degree in Biology, shared what it was like growing up in Cuba and the culture shock she experienced when she moved to Lawrence five years ago when she was 17.
“When I arrived here, I realized my life had drastically changed. Now that I was in a new country, I had to start from zero with a language that I couldn’t speak and a new culture.”
Here is Hechavarria’s speech (PDF).
HC Media live streamed commencement, allowing friends and relatives who couldn’t attend to watch the ceremony live. If you would like a DVD of the ceremony, please contact HC media, 978 372-8070 or info@mediahc.org, and they will make a copy for you for a fee of $10.
Here’s a full list of 2019 graduates. You can also view photos of commencement on the college’s Facebook page.
Next year’s commencement—the college’s 58th—will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2020 so mark your calendars now. We will be updating this site with details closer to the day so keep checking in!
2019 Commencement Photo Gallery
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Lawrence Man has the Right Chemistry for Lab Science
Luis Robles was just a little boy when he told his parents he wanted to be a scientist. On Saturday, May 18, he moved another step closer to that vision when he accepted his associate degree in laboratory science during Northern Essex’s 57th Commencement Ceremony.
Admittedly the road to his degree has been circuitous. The 26-year-old Lawrence resident was raised on the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Croix until he was 14 when he moved to Pennsylvania with his mom. After just one year, he returned to the islands, settling in St. Thomas for a year. By the time he reached the 12th grade, he moved to New Jersey with his sister. Although he enrolled in the local community college following high school graduation, a summer trip to visit his dad who was in failing health and subsequently passed away, turned into an indefinite stay.
Robles was working at a call center when he met his wife. They made the collective decision to move to Lawrence to be near her family and nearer to his dream. In 2015, he was working for a temp agency in a multitude of laborer jobs.
“I decided I wanted to better myself through higher education,” he said. “I knew I could find better opportunities.”
He approached Northern Essex with the intention of enrolling as a chemistry major.
“Science was always my favorite subject especially chemistry,” he said. “I was always mixing solutions or playing with electricity. So when the advisors told me about the laboratory science degree, I decided to enroll in the program and I’m happy I did. It excites me when I understand a concept about how something works.”
Robles graduated with a 3.95 GPA, the Excellence Award for top student in the laboratory science program, and an invitation to participate in the Station1 10-week summer fellowship program based in Lawrence. Through this nonprofit organization, he will receive a stipend while gaining hands-on experience in a leading science and technology company while being mentored by individuals from a diversity of fields. Luis was selected from many hundreds of students nationwide.
During his two plus years at Northern Essex, Robles has balanced a full academic schedule with a full-time job at a call center and more recently an automotive center with raising a family that includes a two-year-old and two stepsons.
With his new degree, Robles expects to begin work after his fellowship. Eventually he hopes to return to higher education for a bachelor’s and possibly a master’s degree.
“I want to keep growing my knowledge base and my experience,” he said, “so that one day I can use my career to make a positive contribution to society.”
He hopes his future educational experiences are as positive as his experience at NECC.
“Everyone her has been so supportive,” he said. “Everyone has such a positive attitude and very respectful. “I am grateful to my professors for believing in me and motivating me. They inspire me to go above and beyond.”
Haverhill Resident Receives Outstanding Student Award
Haverhill resident William Rollins has been named as the recipient of the 2019 Outstanding Student Award, a selective honor distributed annually by the Northern Essex Community College Alumni Board. He was recognized during NECC’s annual awards convocation ceremony on Tuesday, May 14, where he also received a new laptop, courtesy of Dell, Inc.
A veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a first-generation college student, Rollins served the country for over five years before enrolling at NECC. He arrived on campus in the fall of 2015 and, with the GI bill at his disposal, began working toward a degree in General Studies: Individualized Option to explore a range of fields at that time.
To this end, he excelled. By the fall of 2018, Rollins had earned a GPA of 3.77 and had become involved with a range of activities, including the Pathways to Career Excellence (PACE) program, Phi Theta Kappa, and the National Society of Leadership and Success – while simultaneously holding down two jobs. His efforts as a campus leader have not gone unnoticed. In the spring of 2019, Rollins received recognition by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, which selected him as a semi-finalist for their competitive scholarship program.
In a letter of recommendation, nominator Jessica Rocker, PACE transfer advisor, described Rollins as a “role model,” adding: “Williams’ dedication and commitment… is inspiring. It is rare to find a student with this much ambition and drive.”
Rollins, who graduated this spring, will continue his studies at Worcester Poytechnic Institute (WPI) this fall, where he will pursue a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. He expresses his gratitude for the role that NECC has played in getting him to this point.
“NECC has helped me in more ways than I can count,” he says. “It has given me a whole new life experience just by bringing me to campus. I have gotten closer to my community and been made aware of what is going on around the world. NECC has helped me break out of my own little shell.”
The Outstanding Student Award is given each year to a graduating student who has exemplified exceptional commitment to community service initiatives and/or high academic achievement. Recipients must be nominated for the award and selected for approval by the NECC Alumni Board, following a vote.
This year Northern Essex awarded nearly 1,100 associate degrees and certificates to deserving students. The 57th annual commencement was held on the Haverhill campus.
A Graduation Love Story
When Ashleigh Bennet was attending middle school in Manchester, NH, she met John Ross, the first Deaf person she had ever known. More than 10 years later, John is now her fiancé and the two have a five-year old daughter, who is also Deaf.
Bennet says that from the moment she met John, she fell in love with American Sign Language and the Deaf culture and determined that is what she would like to study and make her life’s work.
On Saturday, May 18, Bennet graduated from Northern Essex with a certificate in American Sign Language Interpreting, and she interpreted for her proud fiancé who was sitting in the front row. She earned her associate in Deaf Studies from Northern Essex in 2017.
Bennet is practicing now for the New Hampshire ASL interpreting license screening test and plans to continue on for a bachelor’s degree, which is required for national certification, at UNH Manchester or UMass Lowell. She would like to build her career as an interpreter in an educational setting.
With her immediate family, who is Deaf, and her fiance’s large Deaf family, Bennet gets plenty of practice honing her sign language skills.
Northern Essex offers an Associate Degree in American Sign Language Studies and a Certificate in Sign Language Interpreting. To learn more, contact enrollment services, admission@necc.mass.edu or 978 556-3700.
NECC Grads Encouraged to Seek Social Justice
“We all must show up, stand up, speak up, provide insight, and take meaningful, constructive, and intentional action to exercise the moral courage to engage others in this pursuit,” Bob Rivers, CEO of Eastern Bank told the Northern Essex Community College graduates and guests during the 57th Annual Commencement Ceremony under a white tent on the Haverhill campus quadrangle Saturday, May 18.
“In short, you must “aim high”, not only in your chosen field, but in your ideals, in your beliefs, and in your expectations of others and our society,” he said. “And if you happen to fall short, know that you – and our community and our country – will be so much further ahead, so much better, than if you had settled for what others might consider more reasonable expectations.”
Social equity and inclusion were the theme of the day as more than 1,100 associate degrees and certificates were awarded. The commencement proceedings opened with the national anthem sung by NECC alumna Carli Hamilton of Plaistow, N.H.
President Lane Glenn told the graduates, “Based on the education you received here and all of the hard work you have invested, you should be well prepared to transfer to a four-year college or university or to start your career—and also to make meaningful contributions to the world around you.”
He then proceeded to highlight a few NECC graduates who, he noted, in addition to being academically successful, “have proven to be exceptional individuals who are committed to making the world a better place.”
Public Health graduate Lucia Rondon were supported by local groups when her brother was killed during the September Merrimack Valley gas explosions. Grieving, she thought of quitting school, but was encouraged to complete her degree. She is now prepared to help her community by decreasing social disparities.
Katherine Hailson, who graduated with a liberal arts: writing option degree, came to NECC from Whittier Vo-Tech’s carpentry program where she developed an appreciation for issues around gender equity. As a member of the Contemporary Affairs Club, she found the confidence to take on the campaign of a local city council candidate and later other campaigns focusing on women’s health and workplace issues. She was this year’s recipient of the Newman Civic Fellow which recognizes community-committed students.
President Glenn also acknowledged Katelyn Richardson who already had a bachelor’s degree when she enrolled in NECC’s American Sign Language Studies Program. Soon she hopes to become a physician’s assistant who will work with the Deaf community. In fact, she was one of the interpreters for the event.
Student commencement speaker Yexis Hechavarria, a Cuban immigrant who arrived in the United States at 17 with very little command of the English language, spoke of growing up in a country where she had no computers, internet, calculators, or email. What she learned is that all you need is a human brain and a teacher or book to learn. As a result, Cuban children compete aggressively because jobs are limited. She used her work ethic to focus on learning English and excelling in high school and then college. She hopes to use her knowledge to become a doctor, like her parents, and cure rare diseases.
“What draws me to the medical field is the miracle of life. Our bodies are so complex that it’s a wonder we exist,” she said. “We are made of iron and oxygen, and other chemicals that are part of the soil and nonliving things, and yet we breathe and we walk and we talk and we feel. That is the most fascinating thing to me.”
She asked her fellow graduates, “What is it that excites you? Do you love to write? Is your passion caring for others? Do you get a kick out of solving a complex math problem? I hope all of you have found something that delights you as much as the complexity of the human body delights me. When you have a passion, it gives you a reason get up in the morning, a purpose in life.”
Here is her speech.
Rivers, the keynote speaker, who began his career as a bank teller and bank janitor, said he was honored and humbled to be asked to speak during a landmark occasion for so many.
In his lifetime and before, right in his own family, there have been instances of inequity. His mother’s family moved often priced out by rent increases. His mother, who was valedictorian of her high school class, was denied a four-year scholarship given to male valedictorians. His grandmother addressed the situation until she was given the same scholarship.
“Later in my life, it was my ex-wife who, when she decided to express her true sexual identity, was rejected by those closest to her,” he said.
After becoming a bank president by the age of 42, he recognized he could use his position to advance change and justice.
“Through many friendships and associations with those not of my own experience, I have come to more deeply and personally understand continued conditions that impede equal rights and opportunity in our society, and in the workplace,” he said. “As a person now of relative privilege in almost every way, I have come to recognize that I have an opportunity and indeed a responsibility to help drive necessary change and progress that has taken far too long to achieve.”
He encouraged the graduates to continue to make a difference.
“Given all that you’ve accomplished, through your perseverance and drive and sacrifice to be here today – among the most memorable of all of your days – I know you are better equipped than most to undertake this challenge,” he said.
Here is Rivers’s speech.
Rivers was awarded NECC’s inaugural Community Partner Award created to recognize people and organizations the college works with who are most valuable in helping the college accomplish its mission. President Glenn presented the award.
Another inaugural award was presented – the Social Justice Award. It was presented to Retired English Professor Dr. Paul Saint-Armand. The Social Justice Award recognizes individuals, groups, departments or initiatives that promote values such as a commitment to equity and diversity or the advancement of human rights and social justice. It will come with a cash prize of $1961—in honor of the year the college was founded—that will be used to enhance social justice initiatives.
Saint-Amand, a Vietnam-era veteran, is committed to peace and to supporting veterans. When he arrived at NECC 11 years ago, he brought with him the concept for the Peace Poetry Project – a contest for school and college-aged students to write poems about peace. To date, more than 12,000 original poems on peace have been submitted over 11 years.
He is also responsible for creating a Veterans Writing group for NECC students – a place where students who have served in the military could share their stories in a supportive and encouraging environment.
Glenn presented the award saying, “Paul, for all you have done to promote peace on this campus and in the community; to help ease the transition to college for veterans, and to promote community service and service learning…”
Four longtime members of the faculty and staff were awarded Emeritus status. At Northern Essex, the rank of emeritus is an honor that recognizes sustained excellence in performance, character, and meritorious service to the college.
Jane Gagliardi, of Gloucester, a clinical social worker and therapist for 25 years before joining the Human Services Faculty in 2001, she retired last year as the program coordinator.
“Jane brought this enthusiasm—and her real world experience—to every class she taught. She loved teaching and her students loved her,” Glenn said.
She was awarded Professor Emerita of Human Services.
Charlene Kennedy, of Richmond, N.H., along with her partner Susan Sanders was the face of NECC’s theater program for more than 30 years. In addition to teaching, Charlene directed two full-length shows each year, productions that ranged from Shakespeare to Broadway musicals.
“She also acted alongside her students, most famously in the college’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol” which she starred in and directed for 15 years,” he said. “Charlene’s legacy is the many Northern Essex graduates who are working professionally as actors, directors, stagehands, and costume designers.”
She was awarded Professor Emerita of Theater.
Joe Leblanc of Haverhill joined the English faculty at Northern Essex in 1988.
For more than a decade, he was faculty advisor to the Observer, NECC’s award-winning student newspaper and coordinator of the college’s Journalism Program.
“Joe was demanding but well loved and greatly respected,” said Glenn. “Under his leadership, the Observer received national and regional recognition.”
He was awarded Professor Emeritus of English.
“Karen Blanchard Mitchell was the first in her family to earn a college degree, and she devoted her career to helping other first generation students succeed in college,” said Glenn.
Mitchell of Bow, N.H., served first as an academic and career counselor and later as director of the federally funded student success PACE Program.
She was named Director Emerita of Pathways to Academic and Career Excellence.
George Moriarty, of Haverhill, the retired executive director of Corporate and Community Education, received the NECC Outstanding Alumni Award. It is presented to an NECC graduate who has achieved career-related success, is active in the community and/or has exemplified active support for the college’s efforts.
Floral arrangements were provided by Holland Flowers.
Musical selections were provided by members of the Stuart Highland pipe band.
HC Media live streamed the entire commencement ceremony so those not able to attend could watch.
Here is a list of the 2019 graduates by town.
Psychology Grad will Transfer to Boston University
Most community college students are local, but not Sarah Donohoo, a 2019 psychology graduate, who came all the way from Sicily to attend Northern Essex.
Donohoo was born in Boston but soon moved with her Italian mother and her Texan father to Italy, where she spent the first 20 years of her life.
She attended an Italian classical high school that focused on Ancient Greek and Latin, and discovered a passion for psychology.
When it was time for college, she knew she wanted to study in the United States and she looked at both two and four-year colleges in Massachusetts.
Her family had recently settled in North Andover—her father transferred from Sicily to Burlington, MA—so Northern Essex was on her radar. When a family friend shared what a great experience he had here, Donohoo was sold.
She arrived in the United States on October 1 of 2017 and, just two weeks later, she started accelerated mid-semester classes.
“I’ve loved my time at Northern Essex,” she says. And, although she only finished classes a week ago, she claims “I already miss it.”
What Donohoo appreciates most about Northern Essex are the “amazing” professors.
Classes with Psychology Professors Krista Titone and Isabelle Gagne helped her recognize that psychology was the right career choice, and she calls them “phenomenal and inspirational.”
She also credits Northern Essex faculty with helping her to discover a love for subjects outside her field of interest. “I always thought I hated biology, but thanks to Professor Clements, I found I loved it.”
In the fall, Donohoo will transfer her associate degree in psychology to Boston University where she will live on campus and study for a bachelor’s in the same field. Here long-term goal is to go to medical school and become a psychiatrist specializing in child psychiatry.
Northern Essex offers a Liberal Arts: Psychology Degree which is designed for transfer to a four-year college or university.
Psychology Grows on Groomer
Dog grooming proved to be fun and creative for Nicolette Barber, but her furry clients just weren’t providing her with the intellectual stimulation she needed. That’s how the Ipswich resident came to enroll in Northern Essex’s liberal arts: psychology option program.
The 2011 Ipswich High School graduate attended a small private school following graduation from high school. After just one semester, she realized she was accruing a lot of debt as well as doubt about her major – vet technician. She decided a reset was in order. She left college and became a dog groomer.
“I love being a dog groomer, but not for the rest of my life,” she said. “I like school. I enjoy school. I’m good at school. So I decided to enroll at Northern Essex.”
That was in the spring of 2017. With her sights set on a PhD in neuro-psychology, she graduates Saturday, May 18, with a 3.8 GPA and membership in the Psi Beta Kappa community college national honor society in psychology.
With her self-discipline, she has taken a number of online courses successfully.
Her next stop she hopes will be a four-year university in New England where she will study neuro-psychology though she is undecided as to whether she will eventually work as a researcher or clinician.
The 26-year-old is also a member of Pathways for Academic and Career Excellence (PACE) Program, a federally-funded program that assists first generation or income eligible students in navigating college.
“Nicolette has both a brilliant academic mind, an outstanding thirst for knowledge, in addition to being down to earth and practical,” said Isabelle Gagne, an NECC Psychology professor. “She is an independent learner, having completed many of her course requirements online. She is not afraid to ask for advice when needed and consistently incorporates constructive feedback in her work.”
Gagne said Barber is that student who goes above and beyond class expectations. In her bio-psychology course she completed six additional essays on different neurological disorders and earned extra credit for assignments about concretely solving issues related to having neurological disorders such as dementia and substance abuse.
“Nicolette is also a great communicator,” she said. “Her writing skills are unparalleled as she is able to explain complex biological concepts in simple terms.”
Last year Barber was the recipient of the NECC Foundation and Retention scholarships.
This is her story. What is yours? #MyCommunityCollege
To learn more about the NECC’s 57th commencement visit the website.
Criminal Justice Student Receives Full Scholarship to UMass Boston
When Michael Mankarios immigrated to the United States from Egypt six years ago, he had $200 to his name, no connections, and an uncertain academic future.
Now, just a short time later, he has more than he thought possible: a full-time job, an associate degree, and – to top it all off – a full scholarship to UMass Boston.
Mankarios is the latest Northern Essex Community College student to receive the Foster Furcolo Scholarship, a highly competitive award granted each year to eligible students of Massachusetts public two-year colleges. He was selected at the recommendation of President Lane Glenn and approved by a committee of UMass Boston representatives.
Only one graduating student from each of the commonwealth’s community colleges is chosen annually for the prestigious scholarship.
“This award means everything to me,” Mankarios says, on learning of his win. “It reminds me that all that work and hardship wasn’t for nothing. This will make me so much more eager to do even more work and excel in life.”
Mankarios, who is a first-generation college student, and a recent U.S. citizen, had long been determined to earn a degree in the United States. After being approved for a visa in 2012 and subsequently moving to Haverhill, he wasted no time in searching for a funding source that would cover his eventual academic career. He found it through a series of jobs.
“When I settled here, I was working 60 to 75 hours a week to help my family back in Egypt and also create a sustainable source of income for school,” he says. “It took about three years to get established.”
By 2016, all that hard work had paid off. Mankarios soon enrolled in NECC’s criminal justice program and integrated himself into myriad campus organizations, including the Pathways to Academic and Career Excellence (PACE) program, the Criminal Justice Club, Phi Theta Kappa, and the National Society of Leadership and Success. More recently, he took on an internship position at the Lawrence District Court, which helped refine his interest in and understanding of the criminal justice field.
“My goal is to eventually work in forensics,” he explains. “I want to use my knowledge in this field to become a good role model, serve the community, and have a positive influence on my family, friends, and peers.”
With a degree and full scholarship in hand, Mankarios is certainly well on his way to doing just that. He will begin working toward a bachelor’s degree in criminology at UMass Boston this fall.
Mankarios believes that his academic success could not have been possible were it not for the support that his professors, advisors, and peers offered throughout his time on campus.
“In the end, NECC was the right choice,” he says. “The staff are just amazing – they helped me along the way. They gave me hope and encouragement when I was very down. If it weren’t for them, and for PACE especially, I know I would be lost.”
NECC offers an associate degree in criminal justice. For more information, please visit www.necc.mass.edu.
Watch Commencement Live from Anywhere, Thanks to HC Media
Do you know someone who would like to attend commencement but can’t make it to campus for the 11 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, May 18?
Thanks to our friends at HC Media, there will be two ways to watch the commencement ceremony on your computer or mobile device.
For the second time, commencement will be on Facebook Live. Just like HC Media’s Facebook page and you’ll receive a notification when the ceremony goes live.
If you don’t have Facebook, HC Media will be live streaming commencement so you can watch it live on your computer or mobile devices To watch commencement live, go to the haverhillcommunitytv.org website and click the watch live link in the upper right corner of the home page. You will be able to view the live-streamed event on channel 22.
After commencement, HC Media has volunteered to make DVD’s of the graduation available for $10. If you are interested in a copy of the ceremony, please call 978 372-8070 or email info@mediahc.org.
Want to know more about this year’s commencement? Visit the website.
Decades in the Making Lawrence Man Earns Associate Degree
Luis Estevez says his nearly 28 years at Malden Mills helped him earn his associate degree in business management from Northern Essex.
This dedicated employee, waited until his employer closed its doors before he took advantage of a retraining act that made it possible for him to earn a long sought-after college degree.
At 48 years old, the Lawrence resident will cross the stage on Saturday, May 18, and finally accept his diploma. However, make no mistake. He isn’t finished yet. Estevez intends to earn his bachelor’s degree before he is 50 or shortly thereafter.
The Dominican Republic native was 16 when he and his family immigrated to the United States. He enrolled at Lawrence High School – graduating in 1989. He went directly from school to work at Malden Mills and was happy to do so. For nearly 28 years, through a marriage and four children, he reported to work growing his way from union employee to technical staff to supervisor.
“I am very grateful to have been a leader for that company,” he said.
By the time the Lawrence company shuttered its operations, Estevez had more than 30 people reporting to him and was responsible for 105 machines operating for 12 hours a day.
During those working years, Estevez said, a growing family and home ownership led to 80 and 90-hour work weeks.
“Any time I had extra time, it became overtime. I did the best I could until the day they closed the door,” he said.
Once the doors closed, Estevez was looking to open new ones. He enrolled as a full-time student in NECC’s business management program. His first class was “Reading, Writing & Reasoning.”
“On the first day of class we were asked to write an essay. An essay? I thought. I haven’t been in school in 28 years. What’s an essay,” he joked.
He tackled the essay and plenty of other assignments over the next two years. He found his nearly 28 years with a large company had provided its own education. Wisdom, he said, he was allowed to share with classmates. It turns out being a supervisor has its merits in the classroom. Through hard work and collaboration, Estevez will graduate with a 3.67 GPA and membership in the Alpha Beta Gamma business honors society.
And that’s not all.
In the spring of his second year, Estevez enrolled in the internship course. In addition to earning college credit, he worked in Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini’s office as an unpaid administrative assistant helping with office tasks and constituents’ concerns. He was also able to employ his bilingual skills.
“You acquire a lot of knowledge through an internship,” he said. “More students should take advantage of it.”
Estevez hopes to continue his volunteering in the Mayor’s office over the summer while he mulls over where to attend college to earn his bachelor’s degree. He admits to being spoiled by Northern Essex.
“Northern Essex is a great family. The staff is tremendous,” he said. “From tutors to faculty to staff, everyone is helpful. I’m sad to be leaving. I always tell my children, ‘Education is power. You don’t know what doors it will open’.”
This is Luis Estevez’s story. What’s your story? #MyCommuityCollege
Haverhill Grad Transfers to UMass Lowell for Accounting
Peter Orfanos is no novice when it comes to time management. The Haverhill resident, who graduated from Northern Essex with his business transfer degree in May of 2019, managed three part-time jobs, a full-time course load, and a range of community service activities – and did it all with a can-do attitude.
“It’s definitely tough to juggle everything, but I love the challenge of it,” he says. “I try my best to compartmentalize and prioritize, working through projects one at a time rather than trying to multi-task too much.”
For Orfanos, who is the first in his immediate family to attend college, NECC had long been a part of his plans. Upon graduating from Haverhill High School in 2016, he was eager to continue his education in his hometown, which he knew would provide him with an accessible, affordable, and high-quality start to his college career.
“Attending NECC had always been in my mind,” he asserts. “I knew I wanted to go to college immediately after high school and I knew that I wanted to get my general education requirements completed at an affordable price. NECC just made sense.”
Several semesters into his education, Orfanos took an accounting course with John Sabbagh, professor emeritus, and became inspired to pursue a career in business. Sabbagh, recognizing the spark, recommended him for an accounting tutoring position on campus.
Orfanos has only continued to thrive while engaging in his studies. In addition to tutoring on campus, he held an internship at Helfrich Brothers Boiler Works, where he assisted with accounting needs, and participated as an active member of Alpha Beta Gamma and the Pathways to Academic and Career Excellence (PACE) program. Outside of campus, he also organizes parades and festivals for the Greek Orthodox Church in Haverhill and works at a family-owned pizza shop in Bradford.
His commitment to academics and service has not gone unnoticed. Before graduating, Orfanos was nominated for both the “29 Who Shine” Award and the Outstanding Student Award, two highly selective honors.
In a letter of recommendation, Sabbagh wrote “In my teaching career, I have worked with more than 10,000 students at multiple colleges and Peter ranks in the top five percent of students with whom I have worked.”
Upon graduating, Orfanos is continuing his undergraduate career in UMass Lowell’s accounting program. He expresses his gratitude for the role that NECC has played in helping him get there.
“NECC has helped me grow not only as a student, but as a person,” he says. “It really helped me evolve into who I want to be by encouraging me to extend myself and find opportunities to network. I can’t emphasize that enough.”
NECC offers associate degrees in accounting and business transfer. For more information, please visit www.necc.mass.edu.
Student Receives Support Following Tragedy
Even before she walked across the stage to accept her associate degree in public health Lucia Rondon had already been on the receiving end of the very role for which she’s now trained.
Rondon and her entire family were supported by public and private agencies and organizations when her younger brother Leonel became the lone fatality in the Merrimack Valley Gas Explosions in September 2018. The entire Lawrence community galvanized to advocate for the Rondons who found themselves immersed in a very public tragedy.
This, said the 29-year-old, is what she wants to do…help others…educate and advocate for her community to help decrease social disparities and language barriers around health related issues.
Now, as a medical case manager at the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, that is exactly what she is doing, helping others.
One day she hopes to gather all she has learned and possibly write policy and change laws and regulations to make the community better.
This Bronx, NY, native was educated in the Dominican Republic. She was a young teen when her family settled in Lawrence. Following her 2008 graduation from Lawrence High School she enrolled at Northern Essex and earned a associate degree in middle/high school education, a phlebotomy certificate and medical administration certificate. After training with the American Red Cross she worked as both a certified nurse assistant and then a medical assistant in a local physician’s office. Wanting to build on her medical knowledge and continue to work in the medical field, the now mom of two returned to NECC for her degree in public health.
“I love everything about it,” she said. “Public health is like a big umbrella. It includes so many things like environmental health, health hazards, disease prevention, and promotes and encourages healthy behavior to prolong life in the community. This degree will open more doors in my career. There are a lot of options for me to help people in their communities.”
Since January, Rondon has interned in Boston’s Public Health Department in the Community Health and Prevention Office. The experience has helped confirm she is on the right path. She hopes to extend that path to a four-year school where she will earn her bachelor’s degree in public health.
“I want to be a manager or a supervisor of community health workers,” she said. “I want to be involved with policy making and bring my ideas to the table to help make change.”
Rondon has the highest of praise about her many experiences at Northern Essex.
“I was thinking of stopping school after the explosion happened and my little brother died, but I received great support from my professors and the counseling office. There was always someone there every step of the way with me.”
Northern Essex offers an associate degree and public health and a certificate in community health worker. It is the only associate degree in public health offered in New England.
This is Lucia’s story. What’s your story? #MyCommunityCollege
To learn more about NECC’s Commencement, visit the Commencement web pages.
Communications Student Finds a Fresh Start at NECC
Back in the spring of 2017, Alexis “Lexi” Fontaine found herself at a crossroads. Nearly two years into her education at a college in Connecticut, the Methuen resident had dreams of pursuing a communications career, but lacked the support and financial assistance she needed to get there.
“I wasn’t getting where I should have with my schoolwork and goals,” she says of her experience. “I felt like another number in an overcrowded student body.”
Amid mounting debt and a disappointing academic career, she decided to make a jump she was uncertain of at the time. She returned to Methuen to pursue work, refine her goals and, later, to enroll at Northern Essex Community College as a journalism/communications major.
“At the time, NECC just seemed like a convenient option,” she says. “I knew it would allow me to save up some money before transferring again.”
But what started out as a mere convenience, she notes, quickly became a life-changer. By the fall of 2018 she found herself unexpectedly immersed in a vibrant and tight-knit community, and fueled by a renewed sense of determination to work toward her goals.
“I think it’s so easy to underestimate the type of community NECC can foster as a commuter school,” she says. “But I made so many more friends here, connected with professors more, and participated in so many more opportunities than I ever would have at my four-year college.”
Fontaine is now involved in a number of campus leadership roles, serving as the opinion editor for the NECC Observer, as manager of the @knightlife_necc student Instagram account, and as a public relations assistant in the NECC marketing communications office, all while holding down two part-time jobs and maintaining a 3.73 GPA. She also recently assisted in running the 2019 Speechapalooza, a free showcase of student presentations managed by the journalism/communication department.
She notes that none of these roles would have been possible were it not for the constant guidance she received from mentors and educators along the way.
“The support I’ve received from NECC professors and staff has helped me absolutely thrive,” she says. “I wasn’t ready for the atmosphere of a four year institution when I first started my college career, but now I feel fully prepared to go back and take on the challenge.”
Fontaine will continue her education at Merrimack College this fall, where she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in communications.
NECC offers associate degrees in liberal arts: journalism/communications and in liberal arts: writing. For more information, please visit www.necc.mass.edu.
To learn more about NECC’s Commencement, visit the website.
NECC was the Answer all Along
Jannyl Fabian wanted to attend college…just not in Haverhill.
So the 2016 Haverhill High School graduate turned to another Massachusetts community college 30 miles away, but after a year and a half the commute took its toll on her and her grades.
“It just wasn’t going well. The commute was challenging,” she said. “I was eager to be in a new environment, but I quickly realized college is not just about making new friends. It’s about how well you do in school.”
In the fall of 2017, she enrolled at NECC, which was much closer to her Haverhill home.
“It was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life,” the 21-year-old said.
In May she graduates with an associate degree in business transfer with a 3.48 GPA. Later this year, she hopes to join her mom in Florida, work full time, and earn her bachelor’s degree on a part-time basis.
Fabian was inspired to attend college by both her parents who emigrated from the Dominican Republic, learned English, and graduated from college.
“I knew if they could accomplish that, the least I could do is graduate with a degree. I want to make them proud,” she said. “I wanted to study business because I knew without an education, my goals would be much harder to obtain.”
Fabian was active in Northern Essex’s Pathways to Academic and Career Excellence (PACE) Program, a federally funded program that supports first generation and financial eligible students.
“The staff in PACE helped so much. They never let me miss a deadline. They were always checking on me. I appreciate everything they have done for me,” she said.
She was also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa, the business honors society.
Her praise doesn’t end with the PACE staff.
“Northern Essex has been great. The faculty and staff give you motivation to come to school and do your best,” she said. “The faculty care about you. You aren’t just a number. They want to help you succeed. They want you to be the best versions of yourself.”
Even before graduating from NECC, she is putting her business degree to use. For the last year she has been working at TD Bank branch in Haverhill. She was recently promoted to assistant head teller. She hopes to secure a banking position in Florida when she is ready to move.
In five years Fabian hopes to have earned her bachelor’s in business, hold a high ranking banking position, and be a homeowner.
This is Jannyl’s story. What’s yours? #mycommunitycollege
