Merrimack Valley

Merrimack College program gives Lawrence students a chance to succeed

By Yadira Betances
Staff Writer
Published: August 10, 2008

LAWRENCE — Manuel Madera was barely 15 when he started attending classes at Merrimack College.

"It's where I learned most of my English," said Madera, now 23 and an engineer at Foliage Software Systems. "I'm not sure if I would have continued with school if it had not been for them."

Madera is one of thousands of Lawrence High School alumni who have participated in the Accept the Challenge program at Merrimack. The program accepts freshmen and sophomore English-as-a-second-language students, who attend language skills classes two to four days a week after school in Lawrence.

Merrimack students are paired up with Lawrence students to mentor, tutor, and assist them with homework and problem-solving techniques.

The Lawrence students live on Merrimack's campus for five weeks in the summer, with underclassmen honing their English conversation skills and upperclassmen learning about local history, American literature and politics.

Juniors and seniors are helped with the college application process, and receive admissions and financial counseling. Students who are accepted into Merrimack after completing the program are guaranteed full tuition, room and board.

Madera received a bachelor's degree in computer engineering and math from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a master's in robotics, also from UMass. He is now studying for his doctorate in robotics.

"In the program, I learned more than academics," he said. "I learned discipline and how to study. It was a great experience that I can use the rest of my life."

Stephanny Urena, 18, an incoming senior at Lawrence High, said Accept the Challenge was an opportunity she couldn't let pass.

"It not only helped me improve my English, but it has helped me prepare for college by taking advanced courses in math and economics," said Urena, who moved to Lawrence four years ago from the Dominican Republic.

The goal of Accept the Challenge is to have Lawrence students graduate from high school, prepare for college and explore myriad career opportunities, said Scott Gage, director of diversity education at Merrimack.

He said most students are 15 when they are accepted to the program after completing an application process, and working with the guidance counselors and English-as-a-second-language faculty members at Lawrence High.

"We're not looking for the top academic student," Gage said. "We are looking for those who have a real desire and commitment to succeed. We are looking for kids who might be lacking, and through a mentor they are pushed over the top."

Gage said the program's success lies in the volunteer base of Merrimack alumni who return as teachers, tutors, or to lead presentations.

"It's the same students who keep coming back, giving the program and participants that kind of familiarity that keeps it grounded," he said.

One of those people is Joan Mejia, a 1999 Lawrence High graduate who has been volunteering at Accept the Challenge for six years.

"I do it mostly out of gratitude to the program," said Mejia, a 2005 Merrimack graduate. "If it had not been for them, it would have been tough for me. I don't know if I would have gone to a four-year college without the help. It rescued me from having to worry about how to pay for college."