A dozen Kearny High School students have earned associate degrees in liberal arts from Hudson County Community College — and they haven’t even graduated high school yet.
Enrolled in the HCCC Early College program, the KHS cohort — the first from their school — is part of a national trend in dual, concurrent and early-college program participation; 34% of United States students take college courses in high school, a threefold increase from 2010 according to the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Programs.
Early college programs boost student success, close equity gaps, save students tuition and improve economic mobility. Students who complete college courses in high school are more likely to graduate high school and complete their college baccalaureate degrees.
HCCC Early College students represented 11% (1,136) of all HCCC students last year according to the Community College Research Center.
“The HCCC family is proud of our 2025 Early College graduates,” Christopher Reber, HCCC president, said. “Students enrolled in the program save time, pay half the in-county tuition rate, develop essential skills needed for successfully completing college coursework, gain confidence in their abilities, and access early opportunities to explore career paths and refine their educational goals.”
These KHS – HCCC Early College 2025 graduates chose to transfer and pursue their baccalaureate degrees and new majors or take a gap year.
- Jordan Bailey: University of Pittsburgh, chemistry/pre-pharmacy
- Johanna Escalante: Penn State, finance/engineering
- Gabriela Guerra: New Jersey Institute of Technology, finance
- Raquel Lamego: New Jersey Institute of Technology, architecture/civil engineering
- Fabian Machado-Requena: New Jersey Institute of Technology, mechanical engineering m
- Sofia Marino: Kean University, speech language pathology
- Ashley Melejor Torres: Kean University, physical therapy
- Isaac Moya: Gap Year
- Eva Ruan: Rutgers University – Newark, accounting
- Lucca Santos: Stevens Institute of Technology, finance
- Antonio Velez: Rutgers University – Newark, business management
- Andrea Vivar: Montclair State University, finance
HCCC and the Kearny Board of Education entered into a four-year agreement in 2021. KHS students complete a combination of college-level courses taught as part of the high school curriculum by qualified high school instructors, and courses taught by HCCC faculty on the KHS campus after regular school hours.
Credits earned transfer toward baccalaureate degrees at four-year colleges and universities, and students who complete the program will finish their senior year of high school with both a high school diploma and an HCCC associate degree.
The HCCC Early College program offers high school students a jump start on their higher education and career journeys. Participants may take up to 18 college-level credits per academic year. The college has partnerships with other local high schools that allow qualifying students to earn credits, a certificate, or associate degree, including high schools throughout Hudson County as well as Nutley, Newark and West Orange.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.