Lawrence, MA (July 2, 2025) — The Lawrence City Council kicked off its July meeting by recognizing the city’s top graduates. Those recognized included Pedro Rodriguez, a 2025 graduate of Northern Essex Community College.

“Does Pedro look familiar to anybody?” asked City Councilor Marc LaPlante as Rodriguez approached the body. “If you were here in 2022, he would look familiar because he went to Greater Lawrence Technical School and was the highest achieving graduate of the school that year, who also received recognition from us then. So he is the first time double-award winner. That’s an amazing streak of excellence!”

City Councilor Marc LaPlante, NECC VP Dr. Naydeen Gonzalez-De Jesus, Professor Pam Donahue, Pedro Rodriquez, Professor Sheila Muller

Rodriguez graduated from NECC with a 3.97 GPA and earned two Associate Degrees, one each in Accounting and Business. As the first member in his family to attend college, Rodriguez will continue his education at UMass Lowell in the fall to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

A graduate of Greater Lawrence Technical High School, Rodriguez was enrolled in their plumbing program and graduated as valedictorian in 2022.

“There are plenty of talented students at Northern Essex,” said Rodrigues. “I hope to one day benefit our city as a whole and continue with my community service. I wish to do more for the city that’s always given me so much.”

Rodriguez referred to his employment at Lawrence General Hospital as a way in which he tries to give back.

“Because of the Lawrence City Council, we are able to say congratulations to our student today,” said Dr. Naydeen Gonzalez-De Jesus, Vice President for the Lawrence campus at NECC. “You’ve taken the time to honor student excellence and achievement. Thank you for allowing Pedro to have the floor.”

Rodriguez’s academic achievement made him eligible for the Community College Advantage Scholarship, a program that guarantees community college students in the top 10 percent of their graduating class admission to the University of Massachusetts and a minimum of $10,000 over two years, or $2,500 each semester. The scholarship is designed to expand access to a bachelor’s degree for historically underrepresented students and encourage timely completion for students at Massachusetts’ 15 community colleges. The UMass Community College Advantage Scholarship is available to students transferring to UMass Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell. For more information on the UMass Community College Advantage Scholarship, visit the dedicated webpage.