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<\/a>Madeline Aquino and Irland Metivier of Lawrence HS<\/p><\/div>\n
Two-hundred and fourteen graduates from ten local high schools earned college credits, in addition to their high school diplomas this year, as participants in Northern Essex Community College\u2019s Early College Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n The students, along with their families, celebrated at a May 13 Early College Recognition Ceremony held under a tent on Northern Essex\u2019s Haverhill Campus.<\/p>\n Graduating Early College students earned an average of 23 credits\u2014close to 8 college courses each\u2014which they will take to 40 colleges in the fall, including public universities and private institutions, such as UMass Amherst, UMass Lowell, Boston University, Clark University, Merrimack College, and Providence College. Thirty-eight of the graduates will attend Northern Essex.<\/p>\n Northern Essex President Lane Glenn told the graduates that \u201cNo one in the history of the world has ever done what you\u2019ve done. You\u2019ve been taking high school and college courses and likely working part-time during a global pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n HHS Graduate Lily Hood is transferring to UMass Lowell.<\/p><\/div>\n Haverhill High School\u2019s Lily Hood graduated with credit for nine college courses which she will transfer to UMass Lowell in the fall. Hood plans to major in Health Science and continue on for a master\u2019s and become a physician\u2019s assistant. Thanks to the college credits she\u2019s earned, she should be able to graduate with her bachelor\u2019s at least a semester early and get a jump on her master\u2019s. Her older brother and sister both participated in the Early College Program. What she appreciated most were the \u201cflexibility\u201d and \u201cthe amazing professors.\u201d<\/p>\n Her classmate, Haverhill High School graduate Chelsea Daigle, will continue at Northern Essex in the fall. Daigle admits to having a lot of interests and she plans to explore her options at Northern Essex, taking courses in political science, chemistry, journalism, and education. Having already earned 40 credits, Daigle should be able to graduate with her associate degree in just a year.<\/p>\n Yarendy Lopez, a 2021 Lawrence High School graduate, will transfer her 28 credits, or eight college courses, to Northeastern University, where she will study Health Care Management. Speaking about Early College, she said \u201cI am very glad I did it. Early College gave me an insight into what\u2019s waiting for me in the fall.\u201d<\/p>\n Lawrence High graduate Mishael De La Cruz will continue their education at Northern Essex, where he plans to major in Psychology<\/a>. For him, Early College was an excellent learning experience and he loved meeting students from other high schools.<\/p>\n<\/a>