Josué Emanuel Hernández Escalón on the transformative impact of Early College

Josué Emanuel Hernández Escalón is a junior at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he is studying accounting. He will graduate in the Spring of 2026.

Josué is a graduate of Lynn English high school (Class of 2022) where he took Early College classes at North Shore Community College. Looking back at his experience as an Early College student, Josué reflects on all the ways Early College positively impacted his life.

“Early College literally changed my life. I was at a point where I didn’t know what to do with my life. At that point, I was in the United States for a year and a half and I didn’t know how college worked here. College is different in my home country. I wasn’t comfortable with my English yet. But, Early College changed my perspective on college and made me think college is possible.”

It’s clear that Josué loves Early College. He reflects on all the ways Early College has helped him with his English, has helped him develop independence, and provided the opportunity to study abroad in Greece. Josué loves that Early College is focused on underrepresented students and instilling in them that it’s possible to go to college after high school. Josué received the presidential scholarship award from both North Shore Community College and UMass Amherst.

Josué also recognizes the impact Early College has on his family and his community. Because of Early College, his family’s perspective changed on the attainability of earning a degree in the United States. Josué’s younger sister is currently a student at North Shore Community College and is hoping to transfer to a four year university to obtain her nursing degree. In Lynn more broadly, Josué notes that more peers are obtaining certificates and associate’s degrees, reflecting a mentality shift among students in the community.

“Early College definitely changed my family’s perspective. We saw the prices of four year institutions and we thought there’s no way we could cover that. Early College showed us different ways to get support, receive financial aid and scholarships for college. I also know other students in Lynn who are doing Early College. They believe in themselves and they are deciding to try something new. They have a different mentality [about college] now.”

Josué also credits Early College as the reason he got connected with the Alliance and the Early College Policy Fellowship. Josué shares that the Fellowship provided room for him to have an introduction to the professional world and helped him develop crucial skills such as time management.

“The Fellowship is a huge opportunity because it gives you a chance to build your confidence, learn professional skills, and engage with local government and educators. The Fellowship helps you build connections. I learned a lot of crucial skills like time management, problem solving, emailing, and communication with others, and I gained confidence with myself and my leadership style.”

Josué shares he’s taken these skills and applied them both in his academic career with group projects and in other internships he’s been involved in. Since completing the Fellowship in the spring of 2023, Josué has gone on to work with his community in a number of different ways. He became a mentor in the Lynn school district working directly with students on essay writing and applying for college and jobs. Additionally, he had the chance to improve his finance and accounting skills when he interned with the city of Lynn.

“After the Fellowship, I had the chance to work with the local government in finance. I worked with the city of Lynn and learned a lot about local government, the budget process, and the political system as a whole. I’m studying accounting and it was really fun for me. For example, during snow storms, I learned how to work on budgets by stations, assign funds, and more.”

It’s clear that Josué is passionate about giving back to his community and truly values the impact Early College had on him, his family, and his community. Josué is working towards his bachelor’s degree with a minor in economics. He would eventually like to pursue a master’s degree and start his own nonprofit organization that serves the community of Lynn. He’s eager to find a way to combine his love for Early College and his passion for accounting.