LYNN — North Shore Community College (NSCC) is celebrating successes as it rounds off the year, including the Gateway to College program’s first semester and an Economics and Finance Club win.
A free college-based, dual-credit program, Gateway is designed to provide a new pathway to a high school diploma and meaningful college credentials for those in need. Gateway to College is also unique scholarship opportunity that allows students a second chance to earn a high school diploma while earning college credits toward an associate degree or certificate at NSCC at no cost to the student.
First semester Gateway students included Lynn, Danvers, Salem and Revere residents, according to Gateway Director Nadira McDonald.
“You can never predict how a cohort will come together, but these kids are highly motivated and they support and hold each other accountable. They have maintained a 90 percent attendance rate, where before they had failed classes because they didn’t attend. The average GPA has been 2.8 versus 1.67 upon entry,” said McDonald.
NSCC will hold a Dec. 13 open house from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Lynn campus gymnasium to introduce the program to students who can benefit, including 16- to 21-year-olds who have left high school, or are significantly behind in credits and are unlikely to finish high school on time.
Registration is already underway for the next Gateway session, which will begin January 29.
In promoting the open house, NSCC President Patricia A. Gentile said: “We know from the regional statistics that there are many young people who would benefit from this program. The the success rates of those participating are very high. We look forward to welcoming more students into Gateway as well as adding more school districts to our participating partners.”
Financial support for Gateway comes from the Barr Foundation Education program, which has the overarching goal of increasing the number of youth who connect to secondary and post-secondary success.
Find out more by attending the Gateway to College Open House or by contacting Gateway Success Coach Keone Coleman at 781-593-6722, x6327 or [email protected].
The larger goal of NSCC’s Gateway program is to have the majority of those served continue their education beyond the program to complete an associate degree or certificate program at NSCC, transfer to a four-year college, or enter the workforce with a college credential.
Under Professor Moonsu Han’s guidance, Economics and Finance Club members Max Caron, Matthew McManus, Douglas Alves, Isabella Repucci, and Daniel Lang took first place in the Boston Regional Community College Fed Challenge Competition at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
The competition encouraged development of important skills, including research and analysis, decision-making, argument formulation, and effective communication. With a 15-minute time limit, Team NSCC delivered a presentation of their views and recommendations on the economy and answered questions asked by the judges, requiring them to apply their knowledge and think on their feet.