Marist Welcomes First Students from Newburgh Early College High School Program

Source: Priscilla Du Preez, https://unsplash.com/photos/XkKCui44iM0

Marist’s Early College High School Program (ECHS) at Newburgh High School provides students with unique learning opportunities in computer science. This year, four students from the first cohort of the program have joined the Marist community as freshmen in the Computer Science and Mathematics Program. 

“The Early College High School Program is a way to introduce students to computing technology early on,” said Dr. Roger Norton, Dean of The School of Computer Science and Mathematics, describing the program. 

ECHS allows students to receive Marist credit for computer science classes taken throughout the school year in addition to a four-week summer session allowing students to study on Marist’s campus. 

“I got to be a part of this group of 30 kids with multiple professors and teachers at Newburgh to get a year of college credit,” Jared Kerin ’26 said about the program. Students who complete ECHS receive 26 Marist credits by the end of the program.

“The first summer that I got to come here was one of the best experiences I ever had,” said Kerin. “I got so much closer with some of my friends, people I’m best friends with to this day. I got to build a relationship with a professor I’m actually taking a class with now.”

The program’s classes not only provide students with skills in computer science but also an opportunity to experience a college environment. 

“It really prepared me for college; I learned so much, how to use the tools for college, how to do the work for college,” Kerin explained. “I feel like a lot of people don’t really understand it until they get here, and I was lucky enough to have that skill beforehand.”

For Manuel Hernandez ’26, another ECHS graduate, this experience has helped him navigate college.

“I’m a first-generation student, so I’m learning about college as I go,” said Hernandez. “I have nobody to guide me, like family members, they’re learning from me and I tell them how it’s going.” 

The ECHS program caught Hernandez’s attention because of his love of video games. At Marist, he is studying to pursue his dream of becoming a game developer. 

“There were these classes in elementary school where you could put together little games, it was very simple just putting little pieces together, and it was very fun for me,” Hernandez said. 

However, not all students that join the ECHS program have this same passion for computer science going in. 

“In the beginning, I can’t really say that I had an interest in computer science,” Kerin said. “Technology, in general, is a topic I’ve grown to love.”

Kerin found a passion for cybersecurity in his junior year of high school while taking a class in the ECHS program. Dr. Norton found that Kerin’s situation is not uncommon.

“They’ve really never had any high school experiences in terms of preparing them and letting them know what it’s all about,” Dr. Norton explains. 

Courses in computer science are not standard in high schools. Many students are not familiar with computer programming and technology and aren’t given the opportunity to realize they are interested in it. Dr. Roger Norton hopes to provide a smaller computer science class to middle school students in Newburgh. 

This is one part of Dr. Norton’s plans to improve the ECHS program.

“I feel pretty good, but I don’t feel perfect; there are some weaknesses,” Dr. Norton expressed. Besides recruiting students interested in computer science, Dr. Norton feels the program could improve in other areas, such as attrition and output. The School of Computer Science and Mathematics is applying for a National Science Foundation grant to try methods of improving the program. The first cohort had thirty-two high school students, but only twenty remained in the program until the end. Dr. Norton would like to see more students complete the program. 

“We want to make certain that students are being supported if they’re having difficulties,” Dr. Norton said.

He plans to provide students with an extensive iLearn page with materials for students to study from as well as a discussion forum to receive help from Marist students in the computer science program. 

Students’ plans after graduation are also important to the program’s success.

“Students have been successful, but not all of them have gone on to STEM areas,” Dr. Norton said. 

To ensure more students pursue STEM programs in college, Dr. Norton would like to host informational sessions and open houses at Marist and other colleges. Through this, he hopes students can meet computer science professors and learn more about career paths in STEM. 

Overall, the ECHS program has proven to be a success. Students will continue to benefit from this program as it evolves over time. 

“A part of me knew this was my home away from home,” said Kerin. “I’ve been so involved so quickly.”

Kerin encourages other Newburgh students to take advantage of the ECHS program. 

“I believe if you’re a freshman and you want to go to college, you should apply,” Kerin said. “I know people who have gone all over the country out of this computer science program, and they love what they do.”