The Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges is recognizing Northern Essex Community College student Dayana Ticallas Prado of Lawrence for her outstanding academic achievement and exemplary student service. They selected Ticallas Prado for the 2026 Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) All-Massachusetts Academic Team. She received her award at a ceremony at the State House this week.

Ticallas Prado is originally from Peru.  She says that from a young age, she has enjoyed challenging herself academically. In middle school, she competed in a national math competition. And during COVID, she volunteered to help fellow students who were struggling with virtual classes.

“I would go to their homes after school and help them understand their lessons, complete homework, and prepare presentations. At first, it was volunteer work, but later, families started paying me for the extra support. Around that time, I also helped my mother manage her small business, which taught me responsibility and organization,” she says.

Those experiences sparked an interest in business and entrepreneurship for Ticallas Prado. And soon after she and her family moved from Peru to Lawrence in 2023, she enrolled in Northern Essex as a Business Transfer student.

“Adjusting to a new country and a new education system was challenging, especially taking college classes in English. Because of that, I often studied twice as much so I could understand my classes better. During this time, I also worked two part-time jobs while studying.”

Rep. Andy Vargas (D), 3rd District and Dayana Ticllas Prado at the MA State House PTK Ceremony

Still, Ticallas Prado found time to volunteer. She served as vice president of the Student Government Association and was named to the Dean’s List every semester. She also became a member of Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Beta Gamma honor societies and participated in the Commonwealth Honors Program. This spring, she presented an AI project called “Allinet” at the MassURC 2025 conference

Her hard work is already paying off. Tricallas Prado transferred to Suffolk University this spring semester, where she is participating in the Honors Program and studying finance.

“My goal in the future is to become a financial analyst and eventually create a nonprofit organization focused on financial education and personal development, helping people build better financial futures.”

PTK is the international honor society of two-year colleges. PTK has recognized and encouraged scholarship among community college students for 100 years while promoting the academic integrity of the associate degree program. Students with grade point averages of 3.5 or higher are invited to join Phi Theta Kappa. For additional information, contact Professor Lisette Espinoza at lespinoza@necc.mass.edu.