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Graduation Day Draws Near at NECC

 

As of March 31, all potential graduates have filled out and passed in their petition to graduate form. With this comes a big sigh of relief and a weight off of their shoulders. But what comes next for those soon-to-be NECC graduates? What other graduation preparations do these students have to do before their graduation day?

Students must make sure they fulfill NECCs academic requirements. Students have to keep their GPA over a 2.0 and pass all required courses to earn an associate degree in their declared major. Students who’ve busted their brains out and achieved GPAs in the 3.0-4.0 range for the fall semester 2014 will receive an award at the commencement ceremony: A GPA ranging from 3.0-3.49 will receive an honors award, while a GPA ranging from 3.5-4.0 will receive a high honors award.

Luckily for soon-to-be NECC graduates there is no graduation fee, which would have been $75 this year. Due to the college purchasing graduation hoods and invitations, the only thing students are responsible for is their cap and gown, which has a fee of $25. Potential graduates can pick up their graduation packets, which include their cap, gown, tassel, hood and invitation at both the Haverhill and Lawrence campus book stores starting Monday, April 14.

Commencement is taking place Saturday, May 16. Commencement will begin at 11 a.m. in the quadrangle next to the gymnasium on the Haverhill Campus and is scheduled to end at 1:30 p.m. that afternoon. Graduating students must arrive no later than 10:15 a.m and report to the Sport and Fitness Center on the Haverhill campus. There the students will be assembled by their programs. There will be signs directing the graduates where to go.

Many soon-to-be student graduates who have taken all the steps on the way to the commencement ceremony are now considering what’s next for them.

“I’m still deciding between UMass Amherst and Salem State,” said Nicholas Mazzone, a communication major and soon-to-be 2015 NECC graduate. “They both have good communication programs so I’m having a tough time deciding.”

Not all graduates will be transferring to 4 year schools. Other will be putting their new associate degrees to work, and plan to stick their foot in the business world with either an internship or a job.

Patrick Murphy, a Liberal Arts major from the Class of 2015, will be taking on an internship opportunity through the Great Basin Institute. An AmeriCorps position, this opportunity will see Patrick doing conservation work out in the Sierra Nevada.
“I’m excited for this opportunity I’ve been given,” Murphy said. “One of the projects I’ll be working on is helping the environments of endangered species and also doing whatever else we can do help them become less endangered.”

Whatever the 2015 NECC graduate decides to do, remember to be proud of your achievements. You will soon have an associate degree and be one step closer to attaining your goals, whatever they may be.

Individuals who graduated in August 2014 and December 2014, and those who have petitioned for May 2015 and August 2015, are encouraged to participate in the commencement ceremony. To find more information about graduating, you can visit the NECC website at http://www.necc.mass.edu.

Features

What’s next for recent NECC graduates?

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NECC student Jared Blouin stands smiling with his diploma.
Jared Blouin is a recent NECC graduate Photo courtesy of Jared Blouin

This past spring, the students and staff said farewell to the 2013 graduates. Many students probably wonder what they are going to do after being here, and where life will take them.

Jared Blouin reflects on his time at NECC, and what he has planned next. 

“My experience was enjoyable. I think the staff challenged me as a student but also offered palpable assistance with any questions,” said Blouin.

 Blouin said he wouldn’t change a thing about his experience at NECC.

“As far as difference, nothing really comes to mind. I thought the staff were helpful — from the student center to the library faculty. The class sizes were small enough to be engaging. I suppose some academic leniency was evident.” 

Blouin is currently taking higher level classes at the University of Vermont Burlington concentrating on his major of plant biology and anthropology and has no apprehension about his current path. 

“NECC has always been to me a stepping stone, and a sturdy one. The next step is no more an obstacle than the first. I look most forward to taking higher level courses for my discipline and the connections I will make — just as those made at NECC.” 

“My plan, grad school, peace corps. Maybe navy, but I don’t know if we need to go that far into it” he said.

Another recent graduate, Kat Duma, also shared her experiences at NECC.

“I enjoyed NECC very much. The professors there were nice and very helpful with anything you had a hard time on. I feel like NECC prepared me as I go onto the next school I had applied to. 

“There was a lot of club activities that I wish I could of joined for example a photography club. I love photography, but due to work I had no time to enjoy those.[clubs] 

“If I could change something, I would change the effort I put into my schoolwork; I do wish I put more effort than I really did.” 

Duma makes a very good point about NECC,  there are tons of awesome clubs that are not only fun but can also help build up your college applications or resumes once you leave the school.

“I got accepted into UMass Lowell and I’m majoring in psychology and sociology. I’m a little anxious just about starting this year off at a new school that I’m not familiar with but that’s pretty normal,” said Duma. 

“I do want these last two years at UMass to be the best two years of my college life; I’m going to make a big effort and study really hard to contain high grades.

“I’m looking forward to making new friends. I’m a very friendly person and love making new friends. 

“My plans for the future are to just focus on finishing off school and getting my degree. Then we’ll see what happens from there.”

As these and many other students graduate and move on to four-year schools, and careers, the doors of NECC are always open for a visit from alumni.

NECC wishes them luck and prepares to help a new year’s worth of students take the next steps into their future.