Roniel Jimenez is about to begin his first full semester of college at Northern Essex Community College. But he’s no stranger to the school. While at Lawrence High School, Jimenez participated in Early College, taking classes at NECC alongside his high school courses. He graduated from LHS this spring with 15 college credits. Jimenez recently shared his experience in a video produced by the Accelerate Ed organization in collaboration with the Massachusetts Alliance for Early College.

“I am one step closer to my goal. I’m the first in my family to go to college. I want people to remember me as the hard worker, the one who didn’t pass up opportunities, and the one who took advantage of everything in front of him,” said Jimenez.

“We want every one of our students to find that pathway to a meaningful career so they can provide for themselves and their families. I want that for Roniel,” NECC President Lane Glenn remarked in the video.

Jimenez is continuing his education at NECC under the Massachusetts Early College Promise (ECP) Pilot Program – sometimes referred to as the”13th year” or a “5th year” of high school. Both Lawrence and Haverhill High Schools are part of the program. It serves as a one-year extension of Designated Early College Programming in MA. It deepens Early College offerings while expanding opportunities for students to earn an associate’s degree at no cost to the student. Currently, 70 students are enrolled in the pilot program. Learn more about the program and Early College here.