NECC 2020 Psychology grad Garrett Wilkinson of Haverhill doubled up on classes and he will earn his bachelor’s from Merrimack College this fall.

On Saturday, August 8 at 11 am, Northern Essex Community College will host its first virtual commencement ceremony, a tribute to the 600 graduates of the class of 2020, who received or will receive associate degrees and certificates from over 60 academic programs. Produced in partnership with HC Media, the ceremony will be streamed on HC Media’s website and on the college’s Facebook and HC Media’s Facebook pages.

The ceremony will include many traditional elements such as a student speaker, Public Health Major Rosanna Lara of Lawrence; a featured speaker, Rosalin Acosta, Massachusetts secretary of labor and workforce development and a former Northern Essex parent and trustee; and the singing of the national anthem by Early Childhood Education major Emily Forisso of Haverhill. The ceremony will also include greetings from faculty and staff and a virtual diploma for each student.

“Their last semester was a challenging one, and I couldn’t be prouder of this year’s grads,” said Northern Essex President Lane Glenn.   “We can’t celebrate this class as we usually do, but we are trying our best to give them the recognition they deserve.”

Rad Tech Grad Nachelle LaBrie of Danville, NH already has a job at Lawrence General and she says “I love it.”

In June, graduates came to the Haverhill or Lawrence Campus to pick up a celebration package which included their cap, tassel, diploma, and special gifts from the college’s Alumni Association and Student Government Association. It was a festive celebration with music, balloons, the NECC Knight (NECC student trustee and 2020 graduate Courtney Morin), and lots of cheering staff and faculty.

The college has also announced that they will host a joint celebration on Saturday, May 15, 2021 for the classes of 2020 and 2021, giving members of the class of 2020 the opportunity to cross the platform in their caps and gowns.

Here’s where you can learn more about Northern Essex’s plans to celebrate the class of 2020.