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Whittier Tech alumnus urges expansion of early-college pathways, says program saved him $6,700
Summary
At the April 8 Whittier Tech School Committee meeting, alumnus Aaron Bearby urged expanded early-college offerings—languages, math and a senior elective—saying the program saved him $6,700 and nearly a semester and called it a scalable, equitable bridge to college and careers.
Aaron Bearby, a 2025 Whittier Tech graduate and policy advocate for the Massachusetts Alliance for Early College, told the Whittier Tech School Committee on April 8 that expanding early-college pathways would save students time and money and better prepare them for careers.
"Early college allowed me to earn transferable college credits during high school that saved me both time and money," Bearby said, adding that he "saved $6,700 worth of tuition and nearly a semester of time." He described the program as a "unique bridge between career and academics" and urged the committee to add pathways for language electives, math courses such as precalculus and calculus, and a senior elective aligned to career interests.
Bearby said early-college courses are particularly valuable for students seeking bilingual and technical skills. "Bilingual job applicants are 35% more likely to be employed," he said, arguing that language options such as French, Portuguese, German and American Sign Language would improve career readiness.
A committee member, Mr. Cole, responded to Bearby's remarks, praising early-college offerings as "one of the best things we've done" and expressing hope that the state will increase support for the program.
The comment came during the meeting's public-comment period; the committee did not take any immediate formal action on Bearby's specific proposals on April 8. Committee members and administrators noted the program's role in regional discussions on the school building project and MSBA timelines reported earlier in the meeting. The superintendent and assistant superintendent later discussed regional planning and the MSBA feasibility calendar, but no timeline for adopting new early-college pathways was presented at this meeting.
Next steps: Bearby's request was recorded in the public-comment portion of the April 8 meeting. If the committee chooses to pursue curriculum changes or program expansion it would typically require staff study, possible budgetary decisions, and any required approvals at a future meeting.
