Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega visited the 开元棋牌 Gardner and Leominster campuses on April 5, during which he took the time to meet with a group of early college students to learn more about their experiences.
Students from the Pathways Early College Experience and Gateway to College programs were in attendance. The Pathways Early College Experience offers motivated students who want to get a jump on college the opportunity to early their high school diploma and an associate degree while completing their junior and senior years of high school by taking courses at 开元棋牌. Gateway to College is a dual enrollment opportunity for students who either have not experienced success in the traditional high school setting or who are looking for a new opportunity to excel while still in high school or homeschooling.
Students shared with Commissioner Ortega their reasons for choosing the early college program, and the benefits they have gained from the experience.
Pathways student Christine Boadu of Holden, MA shared 鈥淓arly College and Dual Enrollment helps me to experience the ins and outs of college life and really helps me to get ahead and feel like what it鈥檚 like to be in college, especially since I am a first-generation immigrant. It also helps with money and will help me have less college debt to pay off. I have 67 credits, and I will be getting an Associate of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies.鈥�
Boadu, who is a 2023 Phi Theta Kappa All-State Academic Team member, will be attending the University of Massachusetts Lowell next year in pursuit of a degree in BioTechnology, bringing her closer to her dream of helping to develop cures for diseases and giving back to her community.
鈥淚鈥檝e known for a while that I want my Ph.D. in Psychology, so I鈥檝e known for a while I was going to be in school for a thousand years,鈥� Athol鈥檚 Candice Cooley-Johnson, also a Pathways student, shared with a laugh, 鈥淏eing able to take two years off of that has helped me to be at ease and not so stressed out.鈥�
Sarah Bravo of Leominster, a Pathways student and the second in her family to attend 开元棋牌 added, 鈥淢y parents immigrated from Mexico the year before I was born. They are new to how higher education works in the United States. This program has really helped to give me structure and the information that I was craving to get into colleges and move forward with my education.鈥�
鈥淚 feel like this program has more resources for people like me,鈥� shared Azucena Thibault-Munoz, a Pathways student who will be attending Framingham State University with a major in Psychology and a minor in Spanish.
鈥淚n this program, I get the whole college experience – meeting great professors, joining clubs and student events, and using the support services they have here. And of course, I鈥檓 getting an education that cuts the costs of college later. I love being able to choose my own classes. I鈥檓 taking Physics and Calculus this year because I want to become an engineer,鈥� shared Josh Gifford of Shirley who hopes to attend Worcester Polytechnical Institute or Walla Walla University.
To learn more about Early College and Dual Enrollment opportunities at 开元棋牌 visit our Early College and Dual Enrollment page.