Community Corner
High School students welcome to Family Dinner at NCC
Students and families invited to get a taste of college life Nov. 2

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Juniors and seniors in high school, and their families, are welcome to Nashua Community College for a dinner and night of discovery on Wednesday, November 2 from 6-8 PM.
“Students will have the opportunity to experience NCC as part of the family,” said Melba Juez-Perrone, admissions director at NCC. Faculty, college alumni and staff will sit with families during the dinner, host a resource fair, and lead tours around campus. “Students will get a first-hand experience of what NCC is all about.”
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Earn transferable college credit while in high school
The event is a great way to find out how to get a head start on college before graduating high school – especially for undecided students, said Dual Enrollment Coordinator Michelle Grimm. “Dual enrollment gives you the opportunity to explore areas of interest and ‘try college’.” Dual Enrollment options, including Running Start, Early College, and eStart; provide opportunities for high school students to take college courses at a significantly reduced cost. The governor’s scholarship also allows high school students to take two free STEM or CTE courses per academic year.
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“Our Dual Enrollment Office will have a table at the resource fair, and during dinner, you’ll hear from high school students currently involved in dual enrollment with NCC,” said Grimm.
Meet college alumni
Enrollment specialist Mackenzie Murphy graduated from NCC, and said the High School Dinner will give students an idea as to what college life is like. “During the High School Dinner, you can learn about the more than 50 certificate and associate degree programs, in addition to learning about where our alumni have transferred to and the pathway they took to their dream job! Families will hear from students enrolled in our Dual-Enrollment, Honors and CTE programs.”
Murphy said she remembers her time at NCC fondly and that if it were not for her mom encouraging her to save money and go to a community college, she would have never ended up at NCC. She earned her associate degree at NCC, transferred to Granite State College to earn her bachelor’s, and is now nearly complete with her master’s degree.
Undecided on what to study? Learn about the Exploratory Liberal Arts Pathway
“Not all students are certain of their future career path as they enter college. Nashua Community College’s Exploratory Liberal Arts Program invites students to take advantage of this unique option designed to assist them in creating a career and transfer pathway that is just right,” said Murphy.
“Exploratory Liberal Arts provides tools and resources for selecting a college major in preparation for transfer to a four-year institution with a career pathway based on a student’s interests and skills,” she said, adding the Exploratory Program Coordinator Gini Egan will be at the event to give more information.
Financial Aid, Advising, Multicultural Engagement Office, and More
The resource fair will include staff from Academic Advising, Financial Aid, Library Services, Disability Services, Multicultural Engagement Office, and Student Life. Current students will lead campus tours.
Speaking from experience, Murphy said “It’s never too early to start thinking about college.”
“Learning more about the cost of college early on and taking a tour of the campus can truly help a student decide where they feel ‘at home.’ While many juniors and seniors may have that idea of their ‘Dream College’ in their minds, NCC is a great place to start. Credits from NCC transfer to over 500 colleges and universities throughout the United States and doing a cost-comparison early on, can help a student make their college decision earlier instead of waiting until senior year and the last minute.”
Join the event November 2
To attend the High School Family Dinner, RSVP online, or contact the admissions team at nashua@ccsnh.edu or 603.578.8908.
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