{"id":34163,"date":"2026-05-06T15:06:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T19:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom2\/?p=34163"},"modified":"2026-05-14T15:26:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T19:26:04","slug":"psychology-graduate-found-community-through-the-pace-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2026\/05\/06\/psychology-graduate-found-community-through-the-pace-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychology Graduate Found Community Through the PACE Program"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For <a href=\"https:\/\/necc.edu\/academics\/credit-programs\/liberal-arts\/liberal-arts-psychology\/\">psychology major<\/a> Izaiah Igartua Rivera, coming to Northern Essex Community College following high school felt like a natural next step. His older sisters attended NECC before continuing their education, and the Haverhill native saw an opportunity to stay close to home while working toward his goals. Now, as he approaches graduation, he says what began as a practical decision quickly became something more meaningful.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Coming to Northern Essex Community College for my associate degree was one of the smartest decisions of my life,&#8221; reflects Rivera. <a href=\"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Izaiah-Igartua-Rivera.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-30028 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/05\/Izaiah-Igartua-Rivera.jpeg\" alt=\"Izaiah Igartua Rivera stands in a maroon suit in front of a lake surrounded by trees\" width=\"300\" height=\"399\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>A 2023 graduate of Haverhill High School and a first-generation college student, Igartua Rivera arrived at Northern Essex with a clear sense of direction. By his senior year of high school, he had discovered a passion for psychology after a memorable classroom experience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy teacher brought in a human brain,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI was mesmerized. Everything we do\u2014how we think, how we act\u2014comes from that. I just wanted to understand it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That curiosity has grown into a long-term goal: becoming a therapist and helping others better understand their own mental health.<\/p>\n<p>Early on, Igartua Rivera found support through Northern Essex\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/necc.edu\/academics\/academic-support-services\/pace\/\">PACE program<\/a>. PACE is a student support services program funded by a TRiO grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Referred on his very first day, he quickly became part of a community that helped shape his college experience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI went upstairs after scheduling my classes, started talking to them, and I was in,\u201d he says. \u201cFrom that point on, anytime I needed help, I knew exactly where to go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>PACE provided more than academic guidance. Through the program, Igartua Rivera built friendships and found a sense of belonging that had been missing in his earlier academic experiences.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn high school, I didn\u2019t really have people around me who were focused on education,\u201d he says. \u201cIt felt isolating. But with PACE, I met people who were on the same path. We pushed each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That support also extended beyond campus. Through PACE, Igartua Rivera visited four-year colleges, explored transfer options, and gained a clearer vision for his future. After graduation, he plans to continue his education and pursue a bachelor\u2019s degree in psychology.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a Black man, mental health wasn\u2019t something that was really talked about growing up,\u201d he says. \u201cI struggled with it, and I didn\u2019t have anyone to turn to. I want to be the person I needed when I was younger.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That sense of purpose is rooted in his upbringing. Raised by parents who emphasized education despite their own challenges, Igartua Rivera grew up hearing a message that continues to guide him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy mom always told me, \u2018Don\u2019t become a statistic,\u2019\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s something I carry with me every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now preparing to graduate, he reflects on how far he\u2019s come\u2014and how quickly it all happened.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt doesn\u2019t even feel real yet. It feels like I just left high school.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For students considering their next step, Igartua Rivera offers simple advice: keep moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTake your time, but don\u2019t stop. Even if it\u2019s just one class\u2014just keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rivera is one of hundreds of students graduating from Northern Essex this spring. Read more about the college&#8217;s 64th annual Commencement <a href=\"https:\/\/necc.edu\/current-students\/student-resources\/commencement-information\/\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For psychology major Izaiah Igartua Rivera, coming to Northern Essex Community College following high school felt like a natural next step. His older sisters attended NECC before continuing their education, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":34164,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[15,20],"tags":[486,521,570],"class_list":["post-34163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-headlines","category-students","tag-pace","tag-psychology","tag-student"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Psychology Graduate Found Community Through the PACE Program - NECC News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Izaiah Igartua Rivera plans to continue his education and get his bachelor&#039;s degree after graduating from NECC this month.\" \/>\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\/2026\/05\/06\/psychology-graduate-found-community-through-the-pace-program\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Psychology Graduate Found Community Through the PACE Program - 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