The first cohort of Marquette-Alger Technical Middle College (MATMC) students will graduate from Northern Michigan University. Eight students began the program at Marquette Senior High School and two started at Negaunee High School. MATMC allows students to earn a high school diploma, a number of college credits and a technical certificate from NMU at no cost.

Students pursue either a career and technical education or STEM college certificate/degree program. They enroll in a mix of high school and college dual enrollment courses in grades 11 and 12, and a full schedule of college dual enrollment courses at NMU in grade 13.

“We’ve seen growth in the number of students each year,” said Brian Sarvello of Marquette-Alger Regional Educational Services Agency (MARESA). “That was our goal—to grow at a manageable rate. Students require support, so we didn’t want the numbers so large that we can’t provide the support they need.”

MARESA will host a ceremony for the first middle college graduates on May 8. Local school districts, MARESA, NMU, the Great Lakes Center for Youth Development, Eagle Mine and MichiganWorks! collaborated to create the MATMC.