Marcy Yeager, director of cultural and international studies, students Brett Gates, Krishana Abrahim, Colin Sarff and Lane Glenn, NECC president.

On Wednesday, Sept. 17, three Northern Essex Community College students left for a semester in Bath, England. The group is the first to participate in a new international-education articulation agreement with Bath Spa University, which was signed last fall. 

Krishana Abrahim, a liberal arts, biology option major, from Boston; Brett Gates, a criminal justice major from Amesbury; and Colin Sarff, a liberal arts, theater major from Newburyport, along with three students from Middlesex Community College, will be studying at the English university while living with host families.

“We hope this will be the first of a long line of Northern Essex students who will study at Bath Spa University,” said Marcy Yeager, director of cultural and international studies at NECC. “We are already recruiting now for next fall.” 

Students will take courses such as British Literature, Human Health and Nutrition, Crime Psychology, and more. They can take up to six courses a semester while at Bath Spa university and choose to stay for a semester or for two years.

Bath is only ninety minutes west of London and two hours east of some of England’s most beautiful beaches. The location of the University makes it easy for students to travel by road, rail or air to explore the UK, Ireland and other parts of Europe. Gates, who will be traveling abroad for the first time, said when he heard about the study abroad program he “jumped on it.”

 Sarff is no stranger to traveling. He has been to Italy three times, as well as France, and Hawaii.

Abrahim was born in Trinidad Tobego where she lived for one year before moving to America. Abrahim has always been interested in studying abroad and plans to transfer to Northeastern University after receiving an associate degree from NECC.

NECC has been growing its international studies programs over the last few years, says Yeager. Students can take NECC courses that include a capstone experience requiring studying for up to two weeks abroad. Past courses have featured sciences in Belize and Ecuador, archeology in Turkey, and plans are being developed for business, economics, and literature courses.

Students can also work with Yeager to apply for semester-long study abroad experiences to other countries. Generally students travel alone to a foreign university and NECC works to make sure their course work aligns with NECC graduation requirements.

For more information about NECC’s articulation agreement with Bath Spa University or other study abroad opportunities, contact Marcy Yeager, NECC director of cultural and international studies myeager@necc.mass.edu or 978-556-3326.