Good grades didn’t always come easily for Victor Van, ’25 of Haverhill. As a student at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, an undiagnosed sleep disorder made concentrating in the classroom nearly impossible.

“I used to go to classes every day on two, three, or four hours of sleep. Hence, I didn’t do very well in school due to severe chronic sleep deprivation.”

He managed to graduate on time in 2019 and enrolled at Northern Essex Community College for the fall semester. But he still ran into many of the same issues with studying and failed his math class. He decided to take a break from full-time school and focus on his health.

That break proved to be just what he needed. In that time, he was diagnosed with delayed sleep phase syndrome. The diagnosis allowed him to develop some new strategies for success, and, armed with reassurances from his close friends about his capabilities, he re-enrolled full-time at NECC in the fall of 2022. His course load included that same math class he failed back in 2019.

“This time, I passed with an A and my GPA shot up,” he remembers. “The next semester, I took precalculus.”

Van soon started making connections on campus that helped fuel his interests, including fellow student Shaun Bertel, who was studying physics. Van joined Bertel as a peer math tutor after finishing Calculus 1. He balanced classes, peer tutoring, and a new diagnosis of long COVID, which meant driving once or twice a week to a clinic for heart and postexertional malaise treatment in Boston.

As he helped his fellow students succeed, he began to think of what his own next steps should be after graduation. He figured he would transfer to a four-year college or university, but he wasn’t sure where. Computer Science Professor Devan Walton had a suggestion. “I was taking his class, and we were talking about schools to apply to. And he said, ‘Hey! What about Columbia University?’  And I replied, ‘Yeah, that’s obviously a good school. There’s no question about that. Would they accept me? That’s a different question.’”

Coincidentally, Van’s good friend, NECC alumna Alana Comeau, told him about one of Columbia’s undergraduate schools, meant for nontraditional students. With that information and Professor Walton’s encouragement, Van applied early priority action to Columbia University at the end of 2024. After three months of waiting, he got some unbelievable news in his inbox. “It was March 19, 2025. The email said there was a status update on my application. So I went to the portal and skimmed the first line and read ‘I want to congratulate you…’ and I started celebrating. But then I had to stop myself and make sure I read the rest of the email because what if it said, “Congratulations for trying?’”

But it was, indeed, an acceptance. Van couldn’t wait to share the news with his friends and professors, particularly his fellow peer tutors Berthel, Liam Tamulonis, Ryan McManus, Paulitte Nganga, and Gemma Tamagnini. “I’d also like to express my appreciation for the professors I’ve had from the math department, particularly Lori Heymans, Lilianna Brand, Rachel King, and Habib Maagoul. I would not be where I am today without my professors and fellow peer tutors.”

Victor Van shakes hands with NECC President Lane Glenn

As a first-generation college student, Van says the acceptance is especially meaningful. And he’s determined to make the most out of his time at Columbia. He wants to double major in math and physics with a minor in East Asian Studies. Columbia will accept 60 NECC credits. He plans to eventually get his PhD in math or physics and eventually become a professor.

Having just earned his associate degree in General Studies, Van is spending his summer applying for scholarships and preparing to move to New York City. He’s already visited the Columbia campus a couple of times and is excited to settle in this fall.

Van hopes that this experience will encourage other students to take advantage of tutoring and academic coaching at NECC. And to reach outside of their comfort zones.

“If you want something, don’t self-deny. Even if you don’t think you’re qualified, if you don’t apply, you won’t get in, no matter what. And even if there is a 99% chance you won’t get something, there is a 1% chance you will.”