Haverhill, MA (April 15, 2022) – Two Northern Essex Community College students, Lawrence’s Saviel Ortiz and Sierra Goodwin of Hampton, New Hampshire, were named to the 2021 Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) All-Massachusetts Academic Team based on outstanding academic achievement and exemplary student service. Both will be graduating from Northern Essex on May 14.

Each spring, the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC) honors students selected for the academic team at a ceremony at the State House. This year, students were honored virtually during a ceremony on Friday, April 29 at 10am.

Saviel Ortiz, ’22 Business Transfer

Saviel Ortiz is a Business Transfer major with a 3.89 GPA. This fall, he will attend the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst to concentrate in Finance Risk Management.
“I’m so honored and grateful to be the recipient of this award. I would love to thank the PTK community for this wonderful opportunity, that will help me and also motivate future leaders,” he says. In addition to being a full time student, Ortiz works at Reading Cooperative Bank as a bank supervisor and volunteers with Top Notch Scholars, which he says has helped him stay involved in his community.

Sierra Goodwin, ’22 Exercise Science

Sierra Goodwin is studying Exercise Science and also plans to continue her education at a four-year school following graduation in May. “I decided to study dietetics after being diagnosed with a debilitating eating disorder in high school. I knew that I wanted to give back to the eating disorder technician profession in the way that they did for me, in hopes that I could save someone’s life.”

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is the international honor society of two-year colleges. PTK has recognized and encouraged scholarship among community college students for 100 years while promoting the academic integrity of the associate degree program. Students with grade point averages of 3.5 or higher are invited to join Phi Theta Kappa. Sierra Goodwin notes that there are many benefits to joining. “PTK as a whole has really helped me feel connected to my peers during my past two years. It was the only group I really got to get involved in because of the pandemic/attending classes online, and for that I am really thankful.”

As nominees to the All USA Academic Team, Goodwin and Ortiz both qualify for $5,000 scholarships to continue their education.

For additional information contact Professor Lisette Espinoza at lespinoza@necc.mass.edu

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.