First Generation College Student Joins Northern Essex Community College Board of Trustees

Jouel Gómez of Haverhill. (Courtesy photograph.)

Jouel Gómez of Haverhill, a Northern Essex Community College graduate, community volunteer and current president of the college’s Alumni Board, was recently confirmed as the new alumni-elected member of the Northern Essex Board of Trustees by Gov. Charlie Baker.

Gómez is a senior manager at Massachusetts General Brigham’s Newton-Wellesley Hospital. After graduating from Northern Essex in 2015, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Boston University in management and then an MBA from Bentley University. He became involved in alumni association efforts in 2016, becoming the vice chairperson and then president and chairperson in 2021.

“As a first-generation, full-time college student, as well as an adult learner with a family and a full-time job, I know the challenges many of the current NECC students face on a day-to-day basis. I hope to make a difference for those students who may find themselves in a similar situation,” Gómez said.

Gómez also serves as president of the Boston Chapter of Prospanica, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering the Hispanic community to achieve its full educational, economic and social potential.

The college’s board of trustees includes nine members whom the governor of the state appoints to a maximum of two five-year terms, an alumni-elected member who also serves a maximum of 10 years and a student trustee who serves for two semesters.

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence.

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