Jesse Gutierrez

“Start doing your homework in the tutoring center,” the now 21-year-old College of the
Atlantic (COA) student says. “If you have a question, the tutors are right there to help.
And, you will make great friends.”

The Kingston, New Hampshire native admits to using the tutoring centers on the Haverhill
and Lawrence Campuses regularly for both her math and chemistry assignments. Jesse graduated with an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts in December 2012.

Jesse was a student at Northern Essex before she had even donned her cap and gown for Sanborn Regional High School’s graduation. Under dual enrollment, she earned both high school and college credit for courses taught by NECC faculty.

“I was able to take five courses at NECC while still enrolled in high school, allowing me to
fulfill the credits I needed to graduate while getting a jump-start on earning my associate degree,” she says. “NECC offers online courses which were perfect for me to take while still
in high school.”

Another perk, says the human ecology major at COA, is that NECC credits were transferable to most four-year institutions. Northern Essex, she says, is where she discovered what she loves — wildlife conservation research. She encourages others to use the college to discover what they love.

“Take advantage of what NECC offers,” she says.

One day she hopes to work in wildlife conservation research biology, collecting data in the field while living and learning about different cultures and the needs of their environments.