Haverhill, MA (March 4, 2022) – Four Northern Essex Community College students have been chosen for the New England Venture Capital Association’s Hack.Diversity Fellowship after a rigorous selection process.

This selective program is focused on addressing the underrepresentation of Black and Latinx talent in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

The four Northern Essex recipients include:

NECC graduate Adonis Almonte has been selected for a Hack.Diversity STEM Fellowship.

Adonis Almonte of Lawrence, who graduated from Northern Essex’s Computer Information Science Transfer Program in the summer 2021; Haverhill’s Ana Veloz Parks, a CIS: Computer Science major; Heather Brillant also a CIS: Computer Science major, from Methuen; and CIS: Computer Science major Pedro Gutierrez Rincon of Haverhill.

The fellowship spans eight months. In that time, the students will have access to mentors, professional development workshops, an expansive alumni network, and full-time, paid, summer internships with Boston’s fastest growing technology companies. The goal of the program is to help talented individuals who are part of underrepresented populations, attain careers in STEM fields.

In his bio, Adonis Almonte says “My interest in technology started in my high school years when I was introduced to coding by a friend of mine.” He finished his associate degree at NECC and is now pursuing a bachelor’s in software development. He’s already working on a warehouse management tool.

NECC Student Anna Veloz Park has been selected for a Hack.Diversity STEM Fellowship.

Ana Veloz Parks is on a data analytics track. She says she knows what it’s like to not fit the mold. But she’s found a way to harness that: “My greatest motivator is the satisfaction of overcoming an obstacle.” Parks first worked in healthcare and became interested in data science when she began working with health insurance. Now at a start-up, she’s been instrumental in implementing new software to help the business and its clients.

Heather Brillant is studying web development. She taught herself English before moving to the United States several years ago. “I am most proud of this because, being self-taught, it showed me that if I made good use of my time, I could learn something that would make my, and someone else’s life, a lot easier.” Now, she says she’s looking forward to working in a team environment during her time with Hack.Diversity.

NECC Student Heather Brillant has been selected for a Hack.Diversity STEM Fellowship.

NECC student Pedro Gutiérrez Rincón has been selected for a Hack.Diversity STEM Fellowship.

Language is also at the root of Pedro Gutierrez Rincon’s interest in software. “I think software is the perfect way for humans to merge language and pure math to express things that otherwise were impossible or very limited in any other medium,” he writes. He says where he grew up in Mexico, finishing high school was rare, let alone going to college. He’s proud of this opportunity to pursue his dream of getting a degree and starting a career in the tech field.

Northern Essex offers programs in computer science, information technology, networking and security, technology and business, and computer networking. For more information, visit the Computer & Information Science homepage.

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers approximately 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth.  Each year, 6,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,000 take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus, and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley.  For more information, visit the website at www.necc.mass.edu or call 978-556-3700.