Massachusetts Alliance for Early College

Last month, we welcomed a group of high school and college students to the Massachusetts Alliance for Early College! The Early College Student Advisory Council (SAC) is a group of current Early College high school students in MA working with their peers and communities to uplift the student experience in Early College. The Early College Policy Fellowship is a cohort of Early College alumni who are now current, full time college students dedicated to being leaders in their communities to advocate for the expansion of high quality Early College in Massachusetts. As the senior manager of organizing at the Alliance, I am lucky enough to lead our student work and I find joy in being able to uplift our students’ voices, perspectives, and opinions on Early College and higher education as a whole! Our students are leaders in their schools, in their communities, and are working with their peers towards a shared goal! Students in the SAC and the Fellowship are developing key skills in grassroots organizing, advocacy, and policy while also learning transferable skills. I’ve been lucky enough to continue coaching our two interns who co-lead the Fellowship and are also full-time college students! There is so much power and value in peer-to-peer mentoring and I’ve seen that first hand with the work Sabrina Marte and Lisbeth Tineo have done in leading the Fellowship for the past three years! It’s been a blast to welcome our students to the Alliance and I’m looking forward to sharing some of the work they produce in the coming months!

We're so grateful for American Student Assistance's support for #EarlyCollege! And proud to be partnered with Franklin Cummings Tech - they're doing incredible work!

Becoming a doctor is one of the most intensely rigorous, academically challenging pathways a student can take on. It requires deep passion and excellent college skills to help students get there. #EarlyCollege can support the development of both! Ivan Kim is a Chemistry major and pre-med student at University of Massachusetts Lowell. Ivan took #EarlyCollege courses through the Lowell Public Schools & Middlesex Community College partnership, where he earned 15 credits. During his time in Early College, Ivan took #STEM courses such as Biology 1 and Chemistry (in the Honors College), which got him a head start on his major and confirmed his passion for studying medicine. While Early College helped Ivan get ahead on his coursework, it also helped him to gain key college success skills that will help him in his demanding journey to practice medicine. This year, Ivan built on his academics by engaging with practical, hands-on lab work helping to develop "point of care devices", and participating in UMass Chan Medical School's Summer Enrichment Program, to better prepare his path to medical school. Ivan is passionate about pediatrics, but is keeping his mind open to all the possibilities as he gains more clinical experience. You can read more about Ivan's journey through #EarlyCollege in an op-ed he wrote for Inside Lowell last year. https://lnkd.in/eDpbuTJD Project LEARN, Inc. LZ Nunn #STEMEarlyCollege #STEMEducation #MassSTEMWeek

Today's #engineering majors, tomorrow's engineers! In a world that's increasingly complex and technologically advanced, #EarlyCollege can introduce students to the power of engineering through real-world, hands-on experience. Imani Githure is studying Electrical Engineering at Quinsigamond Community College & Worcester State University. Imani took #EarlyCollege through the Worcester Public Schools & Quinsigamond Community College / Worcester State University partnership, earning 16 credits. Imani took several STEM courses through Early College, including Electrical 1, Electrical 2, and courses on engineering graphics and embedded microcontrollers. He credits those courses as inspiration for his Electrical Engineering major. In addition to his coursework, Imani taught himself key skills, including programming and Computer-Aided-Design (CAD). Imani has a bright future ahead of him, and plans to continue his education through a master's degree and (perhaps) eventually a Ph.D program. He hopes to one day become a professor and make #STEMEducation more accessible to students like himself. Rachel H. Monarrez, PhD Luis Pedraja Barry Maloney #MassSTEMWeek #STEMEarlyCollege

Meet Melanie Cerin Aldana! Melanie is a Biotechnology major at Massachusetts Bay Community College. Melanie took #EarlyCollege courses through the Framingham Public Schools & Massachusetts Bay Community College / Framingham State University partnership, where she earned 59 credits. Melanie's passion for #biotech really solidified during her Intro to Biotech Early College class due to the hands-on learning, and the passion the professor brought to teaching: "In our Early College classes, we were able to use real-world machinery and equipment in the lab, and put into practice what we were learning in lectures.” Looking back, Melanie's favorite class in Early College was Cell and Gene Therapy, because the curriculum followed the real-world research her professor had recently led to identify treatments for a specific disease he was studying. Melanie credits Early College with opening her eyes to the possibility of college, and to helping her believe she was capable of succeeding in higher education. After college, Melanie plans to proceed through a Ph.D to set up a career in laboratory research. David Podell Nancy Niemi Robert A. Tremblay, Ed.D. Dana Fusco Irene Porro #MassSTEMWeek #STEMEducation #STEMEarlyCollege

In celebration of #MassSTEMWeek, we're spotlighting a few students whose STEM journeys were inspired and facilitated by their participation in #EarlyCollege. Today, we're introducing you to Carrigan M.! Carrigan is a Biology major at University of Massachusetts Lowell. She took #EarlyCollege courses through the Haverhill Public Schools & Northern Essex Community College partnership, where she earned 31 credits! Thanks to Early College, Carrigan was able to matriculate to UMass Lowell as a junior, saving her two full years on her college education! In the future, she wants to work in a laboratory environment, doing genetics research or epidemiology. One of Carrigan's favorite Early College classes was her Cell Biology class at Northern Essex, which helped foster the passion she is now pursuing through her Biology major. She loved the hands-on, practical nature of the class. Margaret Marotta Smith Lane Glenn #STEMEducation #MassSTEMWeek #STEMEarlyCollege

Take a few minutes to hear about Roniel and his journey! You won't regret it. #EarlyCollege

???????? ???????? ?????????? ?????????????? ???????????????????? ???? ???????????? ???????????? ?? ????????????! ??Her favorite EC course was Sociology ??What being an early college ambassador her...in her own words: "Being an early college ambassador means a lot to me, especially being able to help different students. Being an E.C ambassador is significant to me because I like the fact of getting to share my passion of learning and education with others. As a current LHS student ambassador I get to be a friendly guide and mentor which is something I enjoy doing, and will carry into this ambassador position. Also, the “fun” picture I submitted was a year ago in Morocco. I took it during summer and I chose it because it just shows the beauty of my country.” #projectlearninc #futureleaders #InspiringFutureGenerations #FutureDoctors #lowellma #HandsOnLearning #STEMEducation #internships #internships #yspace #youthinnovation #YouthEmpowerment

Imagine graduating high school with college credits, real-world experience, and a clear path forward. That's the reality for Jesse, Qamar, and Roniel—students from three #AccelerateED?communities. These trailblazers are diving into IT, nursing, and entrepreneurship while still in high school. And their stories aren't just inspiring—they're a blueprint for how to effectively connect the dots between high school, college, and work. Check out their stories in this month's Pathways newsletter: