How Merrimack’s Omara Acosta used Early College as an opportunity to become a leader in her community

Omara Acosta is a graduate of Abbott Lawrence Academy, class of 2019 and an alumna of Merrimack College where she received her BA and MA in Communications. Omara is now working as the Assistant Director of the Early College program at Merrimack College.

As a first-generation college student and a first-generation American, Omara’s family had big dreams for her that have always included higher education. While the unfamiliarity of being in higher education spaces felt daunting, Omara jumped at the opportunity to join Abbott’s Early College program with Merrimack College. As an Early College student, she traveled to the college campus weekday mornings to take her classes, and remembers feeling like she was a college student.

“Early College opened my eyes to higher education. There weren’t a lot of examples in my family but Early College was a way to make college tangible. Instead of college only being something people tell you about or something you read about, I could see it, feel it, absorb it. Being a first generation college student and an immigrant, I know my family had big dreams for me and as an older sibling, I always felt I had to succeed. From a young age, I knew I wanted to be in higher education but I wasn’t always positive that it would be a reality for me. I was planning on taking a year off and working but Early College made me realize I can be in these spaces and I can dominate these spaces.”

After graduating from Abbott Lawrence Academy, Omara decided to pursue her degree at Merrimack College. She remembers having a sense of familiarity on campus and feeling more prepared than her peers to succeed in college. Omara was thankful for the skills and tools she learned as an Early College student and recognizes that those experiences helped her be successful during her freshman year at Merrimack.

“My freshman year of college, I thrived because I knew how to communicate with professors and navigate college systems like Blackboard. Early College gave me the confidence to navigate the space, which is something my parents had never done before.”

Omara studied Communications and Media at Merrimack and built a strong community of friends, advisors and professors who guided her along the way. Omara graduated in 2023 with her bachelor’s degree and remained at Merrimack where she received her masters degree in Communications just a year later. Omara believes that Early College is a way for students to be exposed to college, helping students make informed decisions on whether higher education is something they want to pursue. She was encouraged to apply for a staffing position in the Early College department, and is now the Assistant Director of the program where she is able to give back to her community and support students like her. 

“I never would have thought to be in this position as an assistant director. For someone who loves so many things, I find a lot of passion in Early College and helping other people like me. My love in life is to help anyone who’s underserved or part of a marginalized group to enter good and big spaces. I feel lucky to be a guide for people who look like me to enter higher education spaces. This is a passion job that I’m so lucky to have after college.”