Student Earns Associate’s Degree Before Graduating from High School

Weeks before he graduated from high school this spring, Gurshan Nijjar graduated from Northampton Community College (NCC) with an associate’s degree in engineering. In late August, he started at Penn State Scranton as a sophomore, majoring in mechanical engineering.  

“I set an ambitious goal to try to get my associate’s degree in engineering before graduating high school,” Nijjar said. “Everyone at NCC was supportive of my goal, and they helped me to achieve it. Sometimes I would need to miss class due to my high school classes, and the professors would understand and help me catch up on what I had missed.” 

Because of the coursework he completed at NCC, Nijjar expects to complete his bachelor’s degree at Penn State in three years or less. This will not only save time, but when factoring in the total cost of attendance, he estimates he will also save about $30,000. In addition, his associate’s degree will open many opportunities in the future.  

“The transfer credit policy at Northampton is amazing,” Nijjar said. “It’s almost a one-to-one transfer rate.” Penn State accepted credit for all but one of the 18 courses he took at NCC. To further save money, he intends to commute. 

Because he wanted to be sure, Nijjar waited until about two weeks ahead of NCC’s commencement before telling his parents that he would receive his associate’s degree before completing high school. He graduated from NCC with a 3.7 grade point average and Easton High School with a 4.0. 

“They were surprised and very proud,” he said.  

Nijjar discovered NCC’s dual enrollment program, which offers high school students reduced course fees, when he was a junior at Easton Area High School. During that fall semester, he started slowly and took a college success course. This introduces new students to the college environment, focusing on the development of academic skills and mindsets. Then, he sped up, taking about four classes each semester onward. In his last semester, he took six classes, including higher-level engineering courses such as strength of materials, differential equations, calculus 3, and more. About 40% of his classes were in-person, where he got to meet and network with others. 

One of his favorite classes was differential equations with Professor Alexander Rolon, who was passionate about the subject and helped students who put in the effort. He also enjoyed physics for scientists and engineers. His favorite activity was the egg drop challenge, where teams of students had to design an apparatus to protect the egg from breaking when dropped from a high building. His team was successful. 

Meanwhile, he was a typical high school student. At Easton High School, he was on the debate team, participated in Model United Nations and was a National Honor Society inductee. He also held part-time jobs, first as a breakfast attendant at the Marriott Hotel and later as a server at Country Meadows Retirement Home, a position he currently holds.  

Even though he was younger than most of his classmates, Nijjar always felt at home and included at NCC, and he made new friends. Dual enrollment students were not identified, making it easy for them to fit in. 

His biggest challenge was balancing high school, college coursework, and his job. It was easier for him in his senior year because he had already completed most of his high school graduation requirements by then. 

This allowed him to enjoy some of the social aspects of college life. He met some students who belonged to NCC’s Asian Pacific Islander Club, and they soon became his closest friends. Some of his new friends were not born and raised in the United States, and Nijjar was the perfect person to help them transition to their new life in America. While he was born in New Jersey, his parents had emigrated from India. Nijjar moved to Easton when he was 5 and attended Palmer and Shawnee Elementary schools, as well as Easton Middle and High Schools.  

"I immediately felt an affinity with the students in the Asian Pacific Islanders Club," he said. "They had to work so hard, not only to understand the coursework, but also the nuances of language, culture, and social norms. Nijjar served as a bridge, helping them to understand life in America. 

Nijjar said NCC helped him to become more sociable and confident. It taught him what going to college involved and prepared him for the next stage of his education. 

“I had a great time at NCC, and I appreciate the professors who helped me achieve my goal, allowing me to graduate prior to getting my high school diploma,” he said. “In five years, I hope to have my master’s degree and work as a professional engineer, where I can help people in some capacity.” 

For more information about NCC’s dual enrollment program, visit https://www.northampton.edu/admissions/dual-enrollment.