Haverhill, MA (May 14, 2026) — Northern Essex Community College recognized more than 400 graduating seniors from 20 local high schools who earned college credits through the Early College Program.

The students and their families celebrated at the annual Early College Recognition Ceremony on May 14, held on Northern Essex’s Haverhill Campus.

The students earned a total of 6584 credits while in high school, an average of 15 credits each, which translates to a full college semester. Three students completed associate degrees. The students will transfer their credits to 50 public and private colleges. At least 105 have plans to attend Northern Essex.

“You took a risk, you challenged yourselves, and simply put, you worked hard,” said NECC Associate Dean of PK12 Partnerships Aaron Altman. “Maybe someone pushed you to join or even helped you complete that initial first step. But you were the ones who did the hard work day in and day out and are deserving of being here. Being here is a testament to who you are as individuals, and you should be proud of yourselves.”

Whitter Regional Vocational Technical High School senior Niruis Ramirez Laguard plans to study engineering and shared how participating in Early College prepared her for her future:

Early College Student Speakers Niruis Ramirez Laguard and Adrian Angeloni of Whittier Tech

“Being a part of the program gave me a real look into what college life is like. I learned how to manage my time, stay organized, and push through challenges. As someone who plans to pursue engineering, having this experience is so valuable. It’s reassuring to know I’m not walking into college completely unprepared. But instead, with confidence, knowing I can definitely succeed at that level.”

NECC is one of 22 colleges and universities participating in the statewide Massachusetts Early College Initiative. This initiative partners high schools with colleges and universities for designated programs. NECC has designated programs with Haverhill High School, Lawrence High School, and Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School.

Students from these designated programs earn college credits for free while they’re still in high school. Plus, the classes count toward both students’ high school graduation requirements and their future college degrees. Students spend part of their day at the high school and travel to the college campus by bus for morning or afternoon college-level courses.

In addition to its state-designated partnerships with Haverhill, Lawrence, and Whittier, Northern Essex offers its Early College Program to students from 25 other local high schools. These students can earn credits at a 50% discount.

Northern Essex also offers the NECC Promise Scholarship Program to students from Haverhill, Lawrence, Whittier, and the Seacoast area high schools. That allows students who earn at least 15 credits and a 3.0 GPA in Early College to continue at Northern Essex for free.

The Early College Program at NECC continues to see tremendous growth since it began with just 250 students. This past semester, more than 1,000 high school students took Early College classes.

If you are interested in learning more about Early College opportunities at NECC, visit the webpage or contact pk12@necc.mass.edu.