By MATT DEMIRS
While some students spend summer with feet in the sand, others are getting a start on college coursework through the North Shore Community College Early College Experience.
The program is designed to offer high school students dual enrollment college courses offered at high schools, NSCC’s campus, or online and provide students with the college experience to prepare them for post high school. Students are allowed to take these classes during any of the semesters.
More than 80 students are enrolled in the program this summer, taking classes such as computer science and marketing, according to Eileen Mieses, Early College Career Coach, who is responsible for advising students.
“When you start learning the skills in high school, you get to know expectations for after you graduate,” Mieses said. “We are offering that kind of environment here.”
The choices in courses is a mix of career-focused and general education classes that are transferable with most colleges and universities, Mieses added.
When taking classes, students are fully immersed into the college experience. They meet with college-level professors, get to use the resources at NSCC, and even get their own student I.D.
Edgar Jay Rodriguez, who is a rising senior at Lynn English High School, has taken five courses as part of the Early College Experience program.
He recommends the programs to other high-schoolers.
“Some people second guess themselves but it’s the right decision because it will prepare you for college,” he said. “Here they treat you like college students and how it is supposed to be in real life, but it gives you the opportunity to explore before you go to college.”
Damilda Abraham, a rising senior at Lynn Classical High School, enjoys the program because of the selection in classes that aren’t offered at high school, in addition to the chance to complete college credit.
“NSCC is giving me a lot of opportunities to literally experience the world we are about to transition into,” the Northeastern University hopeful said. “A lot of the kids in Early College program, we are all motivated. We are all determined. It’s one thing we all share in common.”
Matt Demirs can be reached at [email protected].
