Jannelly Gonzalez iHealth@NECC Medical Laboratory Technology

Jannelly Gonzalez always felt at home in the lab. As a former phlebotomy lab assistant at Winchester Hospital, she worked long hours testing blood samples and preparing evaluations for doctors and patients – work that, despite its challenges, she enjoyed. By 2013 she knew she was ready to explore her field further. All she needed was the right education.

“It was my supervisor who first told me about Northern Essex and the iHealth program,” she says. “Once I knew about the opportunity, that was it. I had to enroll.”

Jannelly attended Northern Essex beginning in the fall of 2013, enrolling in the iHealth@NECC Medical Laboratory Technology Program while continuing to work full time. The flexible nature of the hybrid courses, she says, is what ultimately enabled her academic success.

“I was working and commuting every day, so I was so grateful to be in a program that met the needs of working professionals.”

Most class lectures were done online – a big perk for someone living and working in the Boston area. Classroom meetings were generally reserved for laboratory practice, where students learned the basic skills needed to perform at an entry-level job in the medical laboratory field. The program also included clinicals at area hospitals like Tufts Medical Center, where Jannelly currently works.

“The many clinical experiences and partner programs were great contributions to the whole experience. They gave me exposure to the field and helped me network with others in the profession,” she says.

Jannelly graduated from the program in May of 2015 and has enrolled in a bachelor’s program online at the University of Cincinnati, where she will pursue a degree in medical science. She attributes her continued success to NECC.

“I absolutely loved my program and all the great professors I met along the way. It was challenging at times, but I found that the more work I put in the more I got out of it. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

To learn more about enrolling at Northern Essex for the spring, visit the website or contact Enrollment Services at, admissions@necc.mass.edu or 978-556-3700.