Rachel Vargeletis
Human ServicesRachel Vargeletis entered the Pathways Early College Innovation School in her junior year of high school after not being challenged enough in class. Feeling she needed more, she found the Pathways program at Mount Wachusett Community College. because
“I honestly wasn’t challenged in high school, which might sound silly, but I really wasn’t. It wasn’t for me, the high school setting, it wasn’t giving me what I needed. I felt like I needed more, so I sought more,” Rachel said.
The goal of Pathways is to provide high school students the opportunity to earn their high school diploma and an Associate’s degree. This is completed entirely with courses at MWCC in partnership with the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District. All Pathways students are considered Mount Wachusett Community College students and have access to MWCC services including counseling, advising, career services, fitness center, and leadership activities offered by Student Life.
“With Pathways, I’m getting my associate’s degree next week, and also my high school diploma next week. And it’s all for free! That helps tremendously because there was probably no way I was going to easily afford college,” said Rachel who graduated in 2017.