Human services is one of the fastest-growing fields in the country, and Northern Essex Community College prepares students for it with an associate degree in Human Services and certificates in areas like alcohol/drug abuse counseling, peer recovery, direct support and senior care. Students train as generalists who can work with seniors, adults, adolescents and children, and they build real-world skills through supervised practicum experiences.
Three recent graduates share how they got there: Andy Acampora, who started a new career at 76; Martha Cortes, who began in NECC’s ESL program and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree; and Rosalina Perez, a working single mom in search of job security. They talk about what drew them to the field, how they balanced school with life, and what advice they’d give to anyone considering the first step.
What were you doing before you enrolled?
Acampora: I had been retired for two years after a 29-year career with OSRAM Sylvania and 13 years in financial management, spending my time on woodworking, painting, and my children and grandchildren.
Cortes: I came to Massachusetts from the Dominican Republic at 19, speaking only Spanish. I took English classes at Haverhill Community Action to prepare for NECC’s ESL program and eventually worked at Dunkin’ while going to school full-time.
Perez: I’m a single mom to a 12-year-old, and I was working in the Behavioral Health Community Program at Beth Israel Lahey Behavioral Health. When COVID-19 hit, people with degrees were being laid off, and I was in a role requiring a bachelor’s degree that I had landed through experience alone. I was scared and knew I needed to protect my future and create more opportunities for my son.
What drew you to human services?
Acampora: In 2022, my family lost a loved one to the disease of substance use. I looked for volunteer opportunities to help me process it and realized I wanted to work with people struggling with substances. In June 2024, I found NECC’s certificate online and emailed for information. Within hours, Professor Brian McKenna-Rice invited me to meet. His genuine care for students made the greatest impression, and I enrolled full-time that fall.
Cortes: After ESL, I enrolled in the dental assistant program, but I had to leave when my daughter was seven months old. When I had my second child in 2022, I used my maternity leave to go back, knowing I no longer wanted that path. I remembered how much I struggled when I arrived without English or knowledge of community resources, and I wanted to support people the way I wished someone had supported me.
Perez: I have always loved helping people, and I loved the behavioral health field. I just needed job security. COVID-19 made me look at my future differently, and I wanted to build on my experience and open doors I might not otherwise have had.
Did you choose a certificate or associate degree, and why?
Acampora: I already had a bachelor’s degree and advanced degrees, so my goal was to complete every course the certificate required and gain as much practical experience as possible, especially through the program’s two internships.
Cortes: I completed my associate degree along with Peer Support, Community Support Practitioner and Direct Support certificates in two years, and I took the free Mental Health First Aid certificate. I wasn’t sure which population I wanted to work with, and each certificate needed only a couple of extra classes.
Perez: I earned my associate degree plus the Drug and Alcohol Counseling and Senior Care certificates. I chose drug and alcohol counseling because of my behavioral health work, and Senior Care because it was new and people are living longer, so demand for services supporting older adults keeps growing.
Did you have hesitation before enrolling, and what helped you take the leap?
Acampora: My biggest hesitation was my age. I hadn’t been in a classroom since 1994, and many of my classmates were very young. I also worried about telling my adult children, who jokingly called me “the professional student.” They were thrilled, and on my first day they posted photos of me heading off to school next to photos of my grandchildren doing the same.
Cortes: I had wanted to return to college ever since I left the first time, but full-time work and a small child stopped me. After COVID, more classes were offered in hybrid format, and soon the Mass Reconnect program let me attend for free.
Perez: Yes and no. Yes, because of time management. No, because I had a solid reason for doing it. I knew that if I kept waiting for the perfect time, I might never start.
Which course or instructor had the biggest impact on you?
Acampora: I had Professors Lisa Fabbri and Brian McKenna-Rice for all my campus-based courses. I don’t believe any single course or professor prepared me. It was the combination of classroom learning, my professors’ experience, and the chance to apply what I learned.
Cortes: Community Resources and Populations introduced me to employers and resources I didn’t know existed, including the company I work for now. I wasn’t sure I was ready to apply, so I asked Professor Fabbri, and she told me she knew I was. She pushed me to speak up and helped me overcome my shyness.
Perez: I can’t pick just one. Lisa and Brian know firsthand what is happening in the field, and they understood the sacrifices working adults make to attend school.
Tell us about your practicum. What did you learn that you couldn’t have learned in a classroom?
Acampora: I completed two. The first was with C.A.R.E.S. (Community Addiction Resource Engagement Services), a program of the Methuen Police Department. No two days were alike, and I learned how individual substance use disorder is. The second was at BILH Transitional Support Services in Tewksbury, a structured setting for people in early recovery after detox, where I learned the nuts and bolts of treatment. The classroom gave me theory, and the practicums let me see it applied to real people.
Cortes: My practicum was at Work Opportunities Unlimited, which supports people with barriers to employment. It helped me determine which population I wanted to work with, and what I couldn’t learn in a classroom was the one-on-one experience with the people I support.
Perez: I was lucky to complete mine in the job I already had. I worked with the court advocate, helped facilitate groups, and spent a few days at the Lawrence courthouse. My biggest takeaway was that how a group goes depends on the facilitator. Seeing it in real time taught me to be adaptable, maintain boundaries, and manage unexpected situations.
Was there a moment when you thought, “This is exactly what I’m meant to do”?
Acampora: My motivation came from a very personal experience, so I knew from day one. Professors Fabbri and McKenna-Rice reinforced it. They cared about our success and our preparation for the work ahead.
Cortes: Every class, every project and every professor’s testimony helped me realize this is the work I want to do. I needed the tools, and NECC provided them.
Perez: I always had the passion, but the courses solidified that I was in the right program and opened my eyes to areas I’d like to explore further.
How well did the program prepare you for the realities of the job and which skills do you use most?
Acampora: I didn’t leave knowing everything, but I left with a solid foundation and the confidence to begin. I regularly use motivational interviewing, the stages of change, crisis de-escalation and professional boundaries.
Cortes: My role requires a great deal of documentation and active listening; plus, the scheduling and organization skills I built in the program. NECC also showed me I could transfer to a four-year college.
Perez: The program gave me a foundation I can take into different settings. I use active listening, documentation, boundaries, communication and crisis response regularly, and these skills matter in real life too.
How did NECC support you through advising, financial aid, tutoring or other services?
Acampora: Both the administration and faculty were very supportive. I didn’t need many services personally, but I was impressed by how much effort the college made to ensure students knew help was available.
Cortes: NECC supported me through my whole journey, from ESOL until I graduated. I used the library and tutoring for research papers, and I love that these resources are promoted in class. I applied credits from my earlier college experience, which let me focus on the core substance use courses. But I was much more interested in being properly prepared than in finishing fast. I took the Spanish CLEP examand earned college credit, and I received both scholarships I applied for, which helped me buy books. Free community college made me realize I could do more than an associate degree.
Perez: Just wow. The financial aid process was easy, and I got a response right away whenever I had questions. Advising helped me fit in classes around my life, and food vouchers helped tremendously. What I appreciated most was not feeling like I was navigating everything alone.
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
Acampora: Change in early recovery is rarely a dramatic “aha” moment. It shows up gradually in the decisions clients make. Witnessing a client’s determination to change how they’ve been living, one small step at a time, is one of the most meaningful parts of this work.
Cortes: Placing a client in their dream job and giving them the support to succeed. I also help clients build independence, like getting a driver’s license or learning to use public transportation on their own.
Perez: When my son was young, I had no idea what resources existed or who to ask. In crisis intervention, I met a young mother who was feeling defeated and reminded me so much of myself. I approached her the way I wanted someone to approach me: not with false sympathy or judgment, and not by just handing her a resource and moving on. It only takes one rejection or judgment to stop someone from looking for help again. How we treat people matters as much as the services we provide.
How has your NECC education changed your life or career trajectory?
Acampora: I came to this field later in life, driven by a personal loss, so my goals are different from someone starting out. I want to do meaningful work and help people struggling with substance use, and I feel extremely fortunate to work one-on-one with people.
Cortes: The certificate connected me with people who encouraged me to follow my dreams and to speak up. I found a rewarding job with competitive pay and a convenient schedule. I transferred to a four-year college that accepted all my NECC credits, so I earned my bachelor’s in liberal arts with a minor in psychology in one year instead of two.
Perez: The program opened doors I didn’t anticipate and gave me the confidence to change jobs and believe I can do more. I went back to school for job security, but I didn’t realize how much my education would change the way I viewed my own potential.
What would you say to someone considering this program but feeling unsure?
Acampora: Gather as much information as you can. Meet with staff in the Human Services department, ask what the work is really like, and talk with people already working in the area that interests you. That is how my own journey began. You don’t have to have everything figured out before taking the first step.
Cortes: If you are compassionate and empathetic and want to support people, don’t hesitate to enroll. You may already be doing some of the work and just lack the right tools.
Perez: Do it! It’s a great career starter, and there are so many paths you can take once you get your foot in the door. Life will always have challenges and it’s never the right time. At some point you have to choose to invest in yourself.
What is one thing you wish people understood about working in human services?
Acampora: The word “human” is the most telling part of the name. Working with people can be one of the most challenging things we do, and one of the most rewarding. Progress is often incremental, and playing even a small part in it is what “human” in Human Services has come to mean for me.
Cortes: Human services is not about earning a paycheck. It’s about meeting people where they are, leaving bias behind, and serving them to the best of your knowledge.
Perez: Human services isn’t a straight line. There is a job out there for you in this field. It’s about understanding people, meeting them where they are, and recognizing that everyone has a different story.
To learn more about NECC’s Human Services certificate and degree programs, click here or email enrollmentservices@necc.mass.edu.
