Clinton Ngamne is grateful for Early College and is paying it forward to younger students

Clinton Ngamne is a graduate of Everett High School (Class of 2023) and an alumnus of Franklin Cummings Tech where he received his associates degree in Renewable Energy. Clinton is now working as the Early College Student Success Coach at Franklin Cummings Tech.

Clinton has always known college was in his future, but the path to getting to and through college was unclear. Clinton is from Cameroon and joined the Early College program during his senior year at Everett High School. Clinton shares that Early College helped ease the financial stress of college for him and his family.

“I definitely had a vision in terms of college and what my life would look like and Early College brought me a step closer to building that foundation.”

After graduating from Everett High School, Clinton decided to pursue his associate degree at Franklin Cummings Tech, where he took Early College classes. Clinton recalls feeling more prepared and confident as a full-time student at Franklin Cummings Tech because he was already familiar with the campus and the professors. Clinton reflects on how his Early College experiences allowed him to deeply understand the college experience and in turn, set him up for success as a full time college student.

“My plan was always to go to college but Early College definitely made it more attainable. Financially speaking, it was a great opportunity that saved me and my parents from paying for college. It made my transition into college much better because I got the experience of what it was like [to be a college student] earlier on. Because of that outcome, Early College made me ready to pursue higher education.”

Newfound confidence, combined with reassurances that he could and would succeed in college, encouraged Clinton to become more involved on his college campus. He joined clubs, became heavily involved with the Early College program as a whole, and worked in the admissions department.

“After the transition into Franklin Cummings Tech as a full time student, I became more active at the college. I did Work Study at the Admissions Department for a year, and for the Early College department as well. As I was approaching graduation, [those experiences] led me to the opportunity to become an Early College Student Success Coach.”

Clinton received his associate degree in Renewable Energy from Franklin Cummings Tech in 2024. He now works at Franklin Cummings Tech as an Early College Student Success Coach and has enjoyed supporting students in navigating the Early College program. He has a newfound appreciation for teachers and staff who supported him when he was a student. Clinton has enjoyed being able to give back to his community and plans on going back to school to get his masters in engineering.

“Working in Early College gave me the opportunity to really understand what the space is about. Working with students and seeing the important work people in the education sphere do has given me an appreciation for teachers in general. It made me appreciate what my teachers did for me. I now work with all things Early College including supporting high school students with their transition to taking Early College classes.”