Outstanding Student Award winner Andrew Venditti (right) poses with Alumni Board members Rich Padova ’80 (left) and Andrew Bergamini ’73 (center).

Haverhill resident Andrew Venditti has been selected as the 2022 recipient of the Northern Essex Community College Outstanding Student Award, an honor granted to one graduating student each year who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to academic success, community service, and involvement with campus initiatives. Venditti received the award during NECC’s 60th commencement proceedings, following a vote of approval by the NECC Alumni Board.

During his time on campus, Venditti, a journalism/communication major, was known for his leadership and commitment to social justice. Early in his tenure, he attended the Community College Advocacy Day at the Massachusetts State House, where he met with legislators to propose solutions to common college affordability issues. He says it was his passion around this topic, and his love of learning, that drove him to pursue a degree in journalism at NECC in the first place.

“While I started at NECC to set myself up for financial stability in the future, I continued my degree in journalism through work, life, and the pandemic because I realized that I love to learn. This place is awesome because I was able to do that at my pace without worrying so much about being able to afford it.”

In addition to his activism efforts, Venditti also served as an NECC Student Ambassador during the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, and as president of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) club, leading discussions around issues such as racism and political polarization.

A Civic Scholar and Newman Civic Fellow, Venditti has additionally led efforts to gather signatures and support for House Bill 1339, an act designed to “guarantee debt-free public higher education.”

In a letter of recommendation, Janel D’Agata-Lynch, coordinator of civic engagement, service-learning & community resources, lauded his accomplishments:

“Andrew is not afraid to start conversations and he inspires others to engage in dialogue on challenging subjects, which is vital to create a healthy democracy. Andrew combines intellect with empathy in such a way to be a role model for others.”

Venditti graduated this semester with high honors and plans to transfer to UMass Lowell to study multimedia.

On winning this prestigious honor, he says “I’ve tried to be as involved in my classes, clubs, and extracurricular projects as I could be in my time here, so winning this award makes me feel like NECC is as invested in me as I have been in it. I’ve really enjoyed my time here.”

As part of his award, Venditti received a new Dell laptop, courtesy of the Alumni Association. Please visit the Outstanding Awards page to learn more about the Outstanding Student Award. Nominations are accepted each spring.