Spirit Week Offers Deep Dive Into College Life

MERRIMACK - Merrimack High School juniors and seniors can get a taste of college life during Spirit Week at Nashua Community College, Feb. 24 - 28. Students are encouraged to show their MHS pride by wearing blue and white.

Scheduled during the MHS winter break, Spirit Week offers hands-on activities such as shadowing a college student, attending class, and joining a tour of campus. Spirit Week participants will also be entered to win prizes from campus swag to free course credits.

High school guests can learn about ways to earn college while still in high school, and discover the 50+ degree and certificate programs waiting for them after graduation.

Underclassmen can learn about Running Start and Early College opportunities through Nashua Community College. Running Start classes offer high school and college credit for classes taught at the high school by high school teachers. Early College courses invite high school students to take a regular college course at NCC along with college students. Early College courses are also eligible for college and high school credit, pending approval by the student’s high school.

Merrimack High School currently offers 6 Running Start courses; college composition, introduction to business, principles of management, principles of marketing, and chemistry; with 110 MHS students currently participating. Through the Governor’s Scholarship program, any STEM-related classes can count toward high school and college credit at no cost.

At Merrimack, this covers the chemistry and businesses classes. Other Running Start classes are eligible for a needs-based scholarship, which drops the Running Start fee to $75 from $150. For more information about Running Start and Early College, contact Patrick McGinnis at (603) 578-6915 or pmcginnis@ccsnh.edu.

High schoolers wanting to learn more about enrolling after graduation can speak directly with students, alumni, staff, and faculty. In some cases, NCC staff are also college alumni.

Merrimack High School graduate and current NCC admissions staff Mackenzie Murphy said she came to NCC for the low tuition and vibrant student life, “NCC provided opportunities I wouldn’t normally get, like getting involved in all the student clubs and organizations. We’re a smaller institution; we have about 1,800 students here, so you get more opportunity to standout and lead.”

Mackenzie was Student Senate president, and active in the Rotaract Club as well as the graduation committee and fundraising events. She traveled to Florida, Texas, and California for service trips and academic conferences. She also graduated NCC in 2017 with no student debt, went on to earn her bachelor’s at Granite State College, and is in the middle of a Master’s program in higher education administration at SNHU.

At Spirit Week students can meet college ambassadors like Mackenzie and see more about what NCC can offer them. Contact Admissions for details at 603.578.8908, Nashua@ccsnh.edu.

This post is an advertorial piece contributed by a Patch Community Partner, a local sponsor. The views expressed in this post are the author's own.

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