{"id":23282,"date":"2023-10-24T12:21:07","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T16:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom2\/2023\/10\/24\/finding-a-fresh-start-meet-the-students-of-massreconnect\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T11:35:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T15:35:45","slug":"finding-a-fresh-start-meet-the-students-of-massreconnect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2023\/10\/24\/finding-a-fresh-start-meet-the-students-of-massreconnect\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding a Fresh Start: Meet the Students of MassReconnect\u202f\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

The state\u2019s MassReconnect Program just began two months ago, and already it\u2019s changing lives. The program allows Massachusetts adults over 25 who don\u2019t already have a college degree to earn one for free at the state\u2019s community colleges. As of the start of the fall semester, 144 Northern Essex Community College students have received awards from MassReconnect<\/a>, totaling $339,000, an average of $2,300 per student.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Jose Cervantes on his first day of class at NECC<\/p><\/div>\n

Jose Cervantes, 38 Years Old, Lowell<\/strong>
\nJose Cervantes is no stranger to hard work. Even as a teenager at Greater Lowell Technical High School, he worked 40 hours a week. And when he graduated in 2003, he went right into the masonry field. He\u2019s worked for the same company since.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a busy schedule. I leave the house at 5:45 in the morning. But lately, I\u2019ve been thinking, \u2018I can\u2019t be a mason my whole life,\u2019\u201d says Cervantes. Still, he was unsure how to afford the time and the money to pursue another career, especially as a dad to a 12-year-old daughter.<\/p>\n

He found his answer through a chance encounter with one of his customers. She told him about the MassReconnect program and connected him with Enrollment Services at Northern Essex. Suddenly, an idea that seemed out of reach was well within his grasp.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, I was hesitant. I thought, \u2018Where am I going to find the time?\u2019 Then I thought, \u2018You know what, I can show my kid that you can make time to better yourself no matter what life throws at you. And maybe be an inspiration to someone else.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Cervantes is now enrolled at NECC as a computer science major<\/a>. He\u2019s taking classes in the evenings; he often barely has time to go home between work and school. But Cervantes says he already can see it\u2019s well worth it. He notes that his professors are understanding of students like him, who are balancing many priorities, and he sees his work ethic inspires some of his younger classmates.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not just waiting for class; I\u2019m always researching. When I\u2019m on a job, I put my earbuds in and listen to audiobooks on [operating systems like] Linux,\u201d says Cervantes. \u201cAnd when I see a younger person that needs help, I want to provide a guiding light.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also grateful to be setting an example for his daughter. \u201cIt\u2019s never too late. You set a goal; if not just for yourself but for those around you, you can accomplish it. It\u2019s easy to get into a rut and make excuses. But MassReconnect takes those excuses out of the equation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Business<\/a>Rebecca Beaucher, 45 Years Old, Groveland<\/strong>
\nWhen Rebecca Beaucher first heard Governor Maura Healey propose the MassReconnect program, her ears instantly perked up. Beaucher had enrolled at Northern Essex twice before and took a few classes. But each time, life got in the way of her finishing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe last time I took classes was in the spring of 2019. I worked 40-45 hours a week while my son was in high school. I was worried about being spread too thin,\u201d remembers Beaucher.<\/p>\n

Things are different now, though. With her son out of high school and a steady schedule working as an IT business system analyst at Groveland\u2019s AW Chesterton Company, she took the MassReconnect announcement as a sign that it was time to finish what she started.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe college itch came back. I didn\u2019t have any excuses. This is huge. Credits are currency.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beaucher followed along anxiously as the state budget, which included 20 million dollars for MassReconnect, wound its way through the legislature. Governor Healey signed the budget into law on August 9. Beaucher was on the phone with NECC\u2019s Enrollment Services<\/a> on August 10.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was ecstatic. I\u2019m making appointments and contacting people, saying, \u2018I\u2019m ready. Let\u2019s go!\u2019 Everyone was kind and accommodating. Any fears I had were alleviated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beaucher is now enrolled as a Business Transfer<\/a> major. She\u2019s taking two accelerated classes which meet entirely online over the span of just seven weeks. Beaucher appreciates having the option to go at her own pace. And at this rate, she may be done soon. When advisors factored in classes from years ago, they helped her realize she already had nearly half the credits she needed to complete her degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tell everyone about this program, especially coworkers. You have nothing to lose except that feeling you carry of not finishing what you started.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Coleen Sharn and her son Matt, who is a Communications major at NECC<\/p><\/div>\n

Coleen Sharn, 58 Years Old, Haverhill<\/strong>
\nFor most of her adult life, Coleen Sharn didn\u2019t give much thought to going back to college. She\u2019d taken a few classes at NECC and at Salem State University over the years. But she had a stable job in accounts receivable at a local company where she\u2019d worked since she was 21, and she lived a comfortable life in Haverhill with her husband and their son. Then, her world got turned upside down.<\/p>\n

In 2020, just months after losing her father, Sharn\u2019s husband contracted COVID and wound up in the ICU at Lawrence General Hospital. He fought for four weeks but eventually succumbed to the virus.<\/p>\n

In reflecting on the dark time, Sharn noted one bright spot: the care her husband received at Lawrence General. It inspired her to explore career options in the healthcare field. \u201cI knew I needed a change. I wanted to get my foot in the door,\u201d Sharn says. \u201cI kept saying I was going to look into it, and finally, I got up the courage to call [Northern Essex] and ask about classes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her timing happened to be impeccable. Northern Essex Enrollment Services had just started processing students under the new MassReconnect Program. Sharn hadn\u2019t heard about the program yet and was ecstatic to learn that she would qualify for free tuition, fees, and materials. \u201cI thought it was too good to be true! I thought this was just an amazing opportunity, especially now that I\u2019m on a single income.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sharn says she was also encouraged to hear about academic coaching and tutoring available to students. After being away from school for 38 years, she expects she will need help getting back into the swing of things. Luckily, she has some built in support, too. Her son, Matt, is a communications major at NECC and he\u2019s already promised to help her with the technical side of things- like navigating some of the platforms for classwork. Sharn is completing the final steps for enrollment now, and she plans to start taking classes toward her Healthcare Technician Certificate, with a specialization in phlebotomy<\/a> in fall session II.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing back to school is a combination of anxiousness and excitement. My family is proud of me; I know my husband would be.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about the program, who qualifies, and how to enroll, visit necc.edu\/massreconnect<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The state\u2019s MassReconnect Program just began two months ago, and already it\u2019s changing lives. The program allows Massachusetts adults over 25 who don\u2019t already have a college degree to earn […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":25845,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[408,197],"class_list":["post-23282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-students","tag-massreconnect","tag-degree-programs"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFinding a Fresh Start: Meet the Students of MassReconnect\u202f\u00a0 - NECC News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2023\/10\/24\/finding-a-fresh-start-meet-the-students-of-massreconnect\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Finding a Fresh Start: Meet the Students of MassReconnect\u202f\u00a0 - NECC News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The state\u2019s MassReconnect Program just began two months ago, and already it\u2019s changing lives. 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