Joseiry Santos

Joseiry Santos isn’t afraid of hard work. And that quality should serve her well at UMass Lowell, where she transferred last fall after earning her Associate Degree in Criminal Justice and a Law Enforcement Certificate with honors from Northern Essex last spring.

This ambitious 25-year-old has a motto — “Hard doesn’t mean you cannot do it” — and she lives it daily.

Raised in the Dominican Republic, she enrolled in Northern Essex’s English as a Second Language (ESL) Program in 2008. After improving her English skills, she selected the Criminal Justice Program, based on her interest in the field.

An internship in the Lawrence Probation Department confirmed that she had made the right career choice—“I loved it,” she says—and she made plans to transfer to UMass Lowell.

Joseiry was accepted into UMass Lowell’s bachelor’s to master’s program, an accelerated program which will lead to a master’s in criminal justice.

Her transfer to UMass Lowell was seamless, according to Joseiry, who qualified for free tuition at the university—a $1,500 value—based on her grade point average at
Northern Essex.

As a participant in the PACE Program, a federally-funded support program for first generation and low income students, Joseiry received help with applying to
UMass Lowell. “PACE staff helped me find the right college and apply,” said Joseiry. “They also scheduled visits to UMass Lowell and other four-year colleges.”

Joseiry admits it hasn’t been easy. On her own financially, she has worked full time throughout her education in a variety of entry-level jobs from fast-food manager to a sales clerk at an automotive store. “I have a goal that I really want to achieve and I’m going to keep going until the end,” she says. “Getting a college education is important to me and to my family.”