Haverhill, MA (May 17, 2025) — Northern Essex Community College celebrated the class of 2025 with its 63rd annual Commencement ceremony on the Haverhill Campus. More than 800 students earned certificates or degrees this past academic year. Approximately 400 students and thousands of family members, friends, and supporters gathered for the May 17th celebration.

Graduates react to a surprise announcement from speaker Bob Pozen

NECC President Lane Glenn opened the ceremony with words of encouragement for the class of 2025. “You are truly amazing, I’m in awe of all you have accomplished so far, and all of us gathered under this tent today–your family and friends, your professors and advisors-can’t wait to see what you do in the years ahead.”

Student Speaker Mike McDougal

Student speaker, Computer Science major Michael McDougal, also spoke about what’s ahead for his classmates. “Here’s our mission: we need to ensure that the class of 2026 is even more diverse than the class of 2025. We must secure the class of 2027’s right to free speech. Our education – our diplomas – aren’t the finish line. They’re tools. Tools we’ll use to build something better, not just for ourselves, but for our communities, and every class that graduates after us.”

McDougal shared how he found NECC 16 years after dropping out of high school. He had suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2019. His healing process was slow, and he realized he could no longer focus on his work in the same way. McDougal found that he felt best through activities he enjoyed before his injury, namely hiking and running. He decided to tackle a big life goal and hike the Appalachian Trail. And after his six-month trek, he felt ready to take on a new challenge: college. He happened to see a headline about the MassReconnect program, which allows eligible adults to attend community college for free. He went to an open house and enrolled on the spot.

Featured commencement speaker, philanthropist Robert (Bob) Pozen, followed McDougal’s inspired speech with a thrilling announcement of his own. “In your honor, I have recently made a donation to Northern Essex Community College,” he told the graduates. “As a result, when you walk across this stage to receive your diploma, you will also receive an envelope with $200. I hope that you will use half of that amount to treat yourself and the other half to engage in an act of kindness. You could give the $100 to your favorite charity, or surprise someone at the grocery store by paying their bill. Have fun and maximize this chance to make a difference in another person’s life.”

Featured Speaker Bob Pozen

Pozen, a renowned finance and public policy expert and best-selling author, is currently a Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. His speech also included some sage advice for maximizing productivity, which is the topic of his popular executive course and best-selling books. And, he shared some details on his involvement in the Cost-of-Living Pilot study at Northern Essex and Bunker Hill Community Colleges. The objective of this study was to increase the number of students who attained an associate degree in three years by removing some of the financial hurdles students face while juggling other priorities in their lives. Six hundred students from both colleges were selected to receive the cost-of-living grants. Early data is showing positive results.

President Glenn with Social Justice Award recipient Gretchyn Gallagher

Social Justice Award

NECC academic success coach Gretchyn Gallagher received this year’s Social Justice Award. The award recognizes individuals, groups, departments, or initiatives at the college that promote values such as a commitment to equity and diversity or the advancement of human rights and social justice.

President Glenn honored Gallagher for being a champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Northern Essex in her roles as ESL instructor, tutor, and academic coach.

“Her efforts extend beyond the classroom—advocating for resources, addressing food insecurity, and creating inclusive spaces for students of all citizenship statuses,” he noted. “A dedicated member of the MCCC Committee on Racial Justice, she actively dismantles institutional barriers while modeling NECC’s core values of respect, collaboration, and excellence.”

The social justice award comes with a prize of $1961 (in honor of the year of NECC’s founding) that the recipient can use to advance social justice initiatives at Northern Essex.

A recording of Saturday’s ceremony can be found on the NECC YouTube page. To learn more about NECC’s 2025 Commencement and see additional photos, visit the webpage.