Northern Essex Community College students can find a quick pick-me-up just around any corner on campus.

“The number of food pantries on U.S. college campuses has ballooned from 80 to around 800 in the past decade” says Stateline newspaper journalist Robbie Sequeira, and NECC is one of them — with a food pantry available on the Lawrence campus. 

Having food resources on campus, whether it’s as simple as a snack or a filling meal is important according to the Dean of Students Jason Arey because “if students are hungry they cannot focus on their academics.”

“Food insecurity is a huge barrier to student success” and “by providing food resources on campus” this barrier will be reduced in addition to allowing students to save and “use their money to cover other necessities,” continued Arey.

NECC offers a variety of food resources on both the Haverhill and Lawrence campus. Students can inquire about $50 Market Basket Gift Cards, $10 food vouchers, Madd Love food boxes delivered once a month – 50 boxes are delivered each month, the Food Pantry on the Lawrence campus, Weekend Snacks for Students, the Haverhill campus Perfect Blend Cafe and the Bookstore.

Students can also find food in Student Success Services like Academic Coaching in room 211 in the Haverhill campus’ Spurk building. They provide a variety of snacks such as granola bars, crackers, apples, bananas and oranges. In addition, from time to time they provide sweet treats like homemade cookies and brownies.

Supplying food on campus will benefit students in the long run “on a few different levels,” explained Academic Coach Gretchyn Gallagher.

Food resources not only “provide [nutritious] calories to students,” but it also “creates a sense of community” on the NECC campuses, said Gallagher.

Gallagher explained that it is “important for students to not be embarrassed and to come forward with any obstacle they have” because she wants to “help [students] navigate through these barriers.”

In the future Gallagher hopes that NECC graduates can give back to their community in relation to food insecurity.

A Northern Essex Community College student success service has been changing students’ lives  for decades and does not plan to change that tradition any time soon. This impactful student success service is the TRIO Program, or to the dedicated members, they know it as the PACE Program. The program stands for more than a Pathway to Academic & Career Success, they are “a family on campus” says the director of the program Kristen Arnold. As the director for the past seven years, Arnold’s mission is to help participants “persist, get their degree, transfer, reach milestones [and gain skills] to be successful wherever they go,” she said. 

To help with the transfer process Jessica Rocker, the program’s transfer adviser for the past six and a half years, says transferring “is a big part of PACE” so she makes it her goal to provide “one-on-one” assistance for students. Rocker helps students be aware “of their options” such as “private and public schools, the FAFSA packages, scholarships and the location and [possible] commuting distances.”

She also “plans field trips to colleges” that provide students with “the full experience” of a four-year school said Rocker. Student involvement and dedication to the program does not go unnoticed. As the program’s Data Specialist Christine Carbone tracks students’ engagement in the program, recruits students to join the program and provides one-on-one support that meets participants’ needs. For example, she helps search for “special scholarships” that PACE students are eligible for said Carbone. Carbone took on the job three years ago because not only did the position pique her interest, but because she “loves [interacting] with students [the most]” said source. Moreover, she believes the PACE program helps students navigate and enjoy their college experience because they are a tight-knitted “group [that provides] a gentle guide for [participants] to be successful” said Carbone. The PACE program’s newest academic adviser, Esther Peralta who became a part of the program in August of 2023, helps students create “academic plans” that “work best for them” in order to stay motivated and “on track.” 

Her main goal when working with students “is to make a schedule that is realistic,” said Peralta. This involves getting to know the students’ lifestyles and preferences, which Peralta says she enjoys.

 With the program’s open-door policy PACE students can come together to participate in weekly workshops, transfer field trips, culture field trips to museums, the yearly PACE awards and alumni panel, school wide events and their first-generation party that takes place in November. 

For more information about the program students can contact Kristen Arnold karnold@necc.mass.edu, Jessica Rocker jrocker@necc.mass.edu, Christine Carbone ccarbone@necc.mass.edu, and Esther Peralta eperalta@necc.mass.ed

NECC students and faculty believe having a balance between academics and mental health is important and having an emotional support animal on campus will help them thrive in finding that stability. 

Mental health has become a popular topic in the U.S. that affects “approximately 77%” of college students according to The American College Health Association (ACHA). The ACHA also reported in a 2023 survey that college students are diagnosed with mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and “Stressor-Related Disorders.” 

An NECC student who wishes to remain anonymous because of this sensitive topic claims that “midterms or finals week may cause” their mental health conditions to be apparent. 

Educational tasks like keeping up with “deadlines” or attending to personal matters plays a role in another NECC student’s life that sparks “tons of anxiety and stress.” Respectively, this student also wishes to remain anonymous because of this sensitive topic 

“The same sort of stress that affects students can affect faculty” said NECC Counselor and Psychological Service Coordinator Gabriel Garcia. 

In a National Library of Medicine article it is made clear that college faculty (professors and student success services) cannot go unrecognized because they are “principle [assets] of the educational process” in which “one-third” of this population deal with mental health conditions. 

Academic Coach Amy Joyall explained her daily goal of “wanting to be accessible” to each student and finding a balance of “structure [for herself] and others” can be a root cause of mental health conditions. 

Attending college can be a difficult transition for students and managing one’s workload can be an overwhelming task for faculty. Collectively, NECC students and faculty believe having an emotional support animal on campus will help take some weight off their shoulders. 

The NECC students who both wish to remain anonymous expressed having an emotional support animal on campus would “uplift [their and other students’] mood, and [would help manage] stress levels.” In addition, the animal(s) “would help calm students and encourage” them to take a break from stressful situations. 

As for faculty, emotional support animals allow people an opportunity to “break [the] momentum of a busy day” and spend it with a “non-judgemental” companion, said Joyall. She believes there is a “trade off [that] gives energy [and] connects people on campus” when spending time with an emotional support animal.