Dual Enrollment Ceremony Highlights Success of MCC’s Program

On Wednesday, May 20, Middlesex Community College hosted the second annual Dual Enrollment Recognition Ceremony. The event celebrated graduating high school students who completed at least 12 Dual or Concurrent Enrollment and Early College courses through Middlesex.

“You have gone above and beyond, embracing the challenge, the rigor, and the opportunity of college-level studies while balancing your high school classes, extracurricular activities, and even part-time jobs,” said Phil Sisson, MCC’s President, in his address to the students. You have demonstrated the maturity, dedication, and intellectual curiosity to succeed in a college environment all before you receive your high school diploma. You have shown what it means to be proactive learners, to seize opportunities, and to invest in your future. We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone with you.”

Dominic Lebron is an MCC and Lowell High School Early College student who spoke during the ceremony. In 2026, Lebron was one of two MCC students honored as Posse Scholars by the Posse Foundation. As recognition for being successful in his academics, he received a full-tuition scholarship to Rutgers University where he will pursue criminal justice and psychology.

A first-generation student, Lebron credits the Early College program for helping him build skills and earn credits toward his college major. At MCC, he was guided by supportive faculty and staff who made him feel comfortable asking for the help he needed. During his experience, he took classes outside of typical high school offerings, which deepened his learning and grew his confidence.

“It’s an honor to be a part of this process to be nominated and named a Dual Enrollment Recognition Ceremony speaker,” Lebron said. “It has really pushed me (further) out of my comfort zone. The amount of support I have had throughout the process has been outstanding and I truly thank everyone for seeing the potential in me and allowing me to see it in myself. MCC has offered me a community and an overall belief that I could make it on a college campus, do the work, and build legitimate connections between classmates and faculty members."

The largest dual enrollment program in Massachusetts, Middlesex partners with over 40 high schools and career technical high schools. In the 2025-2026 academic year, the college enrolled 3,486 dual enrollment students earning a total of 17,948 credits.

This year, almost 400 graduating seniors earned 12 or more transferable college credits at Middlesex. At MCC’s commencement on Thursday, May 21, 27 dual enrollment students completed their associate degree before graduating from high school.

During the Dual Enrollment Ceremony, MCC President Phil Sisson congratulated students on their hard work and perseverance in balancing college classes while in high school. Interim Provost Matthew Olson and Dean of Education and K-16 Partnerships Melissa Chandonnet handed out certificates as the graduating students crossed the Lowell Memorial Auditorium stage.

"Watching these students walk across the stage knowing they've already earned college credits – some even a full associate degree – is one of the greatest joys of this work,” Chandonnet said. “These students took on an academic challenge, balancing the demands of high school with the rigor of college coursework. In doing so, they didn't just earn credits, they discovered what they're capable of, explored the pathways that excite them, and built the confidence they need to be successful in their next chapter. We are incredibly proud of them and happy that we were a part of their journey."

Special guest speakers included Liam Skinner, Superintendent of Lowell Public Schools; Sadie Taing and Zairely Vazquez Portela of Early College Lowell; and Stefanaé Bowen, MCC’s Director of Early College Initiatives.

“This is an achievement that reflects not only academic success but extraordinary ambition and persistence,” Bowen said. “These students juggled coursework, jobs, responsibilities and the everyday demands of being a teenager and they rose to the challenge anyway. Which is exactly why this ceremony matters because behind every cord and certificate awarded is a student who dared to aim higher and that deserves to be celebrated.”