Seated from L-R: Dr. Celeste Merriweather, superintendent, Bridgeton High School; Megan Ruttler, associate vice president, College & Career Readiness, RCSJ ; Shanice Ruiz, project director, GEAR UP, RCSJ; Dr. Frederick Keating, president, RCSJ.
Standing from L-R: Almarie Jones, vice president, chief diversity officer of Diversity and Equity/Title IX and Compliance, RCSJ; Erica Williams Mosley, president, Bridgeton Public Schools Board of Education; Antony Coque Pilco, Bridgeton High School senior, ECHS student; Aliyana Pagan, Bridgeton High School freshman, GEAR UP student; MaKaelyn Wagner, RCSJ Nursing student, graduate of ECHS; Dr. Abdul-Aze​em Ahmad, assistant principal, ECHS. ​

Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) and Bridgeton Public Schools celebrated their commitment to providing all the city’s students with a pathway to higher education, through the RCSJ Collegiate High School program, at a special ceremony. The ceremonial signing event took place on Nov. 15 at Bridgeton High School.  

RCSJ and Bridgeton Public Schools administrators, staff, faculty, and students gathered inside the high school’s Media Center to commemorate the partnership. The collaboration is intended to create a pathway that is accessible, affordable, and achievable for Bridgeton high school and middle school students to attend higher educational institutions.  

“We’re here today to celebrate the city of Bridgeton, the public school system and its leadership, the connective idea, and the fact that you’re the only school system that has a collegiate connection that formally goes into middle schools,” said Dr. Fred Keating, president, RCSJ. “We are trying to get into middle school to talk to those students about the possibility of what this could do for [their] futures.” 

A group of Bridgeton High School students who are graduating from the College’s Early College High School (ECHS) program, which resides under the RCSJ Collegiate High School umbrella, were in attendance and Keating spoke directly to them.  

“Do you know how remarkable you are?” he asked. “How remarkable you are that you have gotten an associate degree while in high school. You are extremely successful. You are examples for others.” 

The RCSJ Collegiate High School program provides secondary education students with curriculum experiences, preparation, and opportunities they need to confidently transition to their post-secondary goals.  

Bridgeton Public Schools offer strong college preparatory programs through as Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) and ExCEL that can lead to students participating in ECHS. All Bridgeton High School students will have an opportunity to participate in the College’s High School Option Program (HSOP) which will allow them to take RCSJ courses at a discounted tuition rate. Completed coursework can be applied to an RCSJ associate degree or seamlessly transferred to other institutions of higher education.  

Several Bridgeton Public School representatives spoke about the importance of the partnership.  

“I want to just say thank you so much for this distinct honor to welcome you this morning to celebrate the amazing opportunity in the Bridgeton Public Schools to not only enhance our Early College High School program, but also increase its reach … to our middle school students,” said Dr. Celeste Merriweather, superintendent, Bridgeton High School.  

“Bridgeton Public Schools has been committed to supporting our students and community to become the best that they can be and not only academically, but holistically,” she continued. “This partnership is an important step in doing that.”  

“I am a resident born and raised in Bridgeton, and for the students that are here, I sat where you are right now, many, many, many, many years ago,” Erica Williams Mosely, president, Bridgeton Board of Education said, which brought laughter from audience members. “But this was not an opportunity that was there for me.” 

Williams Mosely shared some of her academic background which includes graduating from Delaware State University an HBCU and earning two master’s degrees. She is currently working on obtaining a PhD in educational psychology.  

“Education is very near and dear to my heart,” she said. “Education is something that you need to be able to be successful. This resource and this opportunity is something that we here at Bridgeton are super excited about. I look forward to this partnership.” 

RCSJ has been at the forefront of providing area students the chance to enroll in college level courses while still in high school and helping them prepare for life in higher educational institutions. Programs such as GEAR UP, HSOP and ECHS, have guided hundreds of students on the pathway to academic success.  

Dr. Abdul-Azeem Ahmad, assistant principal, ECHS, thanked RCSJ and the Bridgeton Board of Education for supporting the city’s students. “This is something that the city of Bridgeton truly needs, and we look forward to partnering with you on these opportunities, as well as other opportunities that may lie ahead,” he said.  

Ahmad gave a shout out to the ECHS students who attended the ceremony.  

“The Bridgeton Early College High School program began during the 2017-2018 school year with Cohort 1 consisting of 50, ninth-grade students. We now have Cohort 5 as our next graduating class. Since implementing the Early College High School program, over 100 students have acquired their associate degrees from RCSJ. Over 100 – that’s tremendous.”  

Ahmad provided some information that drove his point home about the relevance of these programs.  

“According to a study conducted by the United States Department of Education, students who are dually enrolled in high school and college are more likely to earn higher grades in high school, attend an institution of higher education, and successfully earn a post-secondary degree,” he said.  

Two students, Antony Coque Pilco and MaKaelyn Wagner, articulated their experiences participating in RCSJ’s Early College High School programs during the ceremony.  

“The Early College program stands out as one of my most transformative experiences,” said Coque Pilco, a senior at Bridgeton High School and current ECHS student. “It has given me an incredible opportunity to earn a liberal arts degree while still in high school without having to pay anything out of my pocket.” 

“But the program’s value stands far beyond financial benefits,” the aspiring mechanical engineer added. “The skills I developed, the time and money I have saved, and the competitive advantage I have gained have made every hour of hard work in this program worthwhile.”  

“Early College High School benefitted me in so many ways,” said Wagner, who graduated from the program in 2024 and is currently an RCSJ 3+1 Nursing student. “Being a part of this program disciplined me and challenged me to reach beyond the stars so I can accomplish so many things at a young age.” 

“Being in Early College High School sets you up for success,” she continued. “You have to have grit, strength, and motivation to get through this program. It is hard, but in the end, you’ll be on your way to accomplish much greater things.”  

For more information about Rowan College of South Jersey’s High School Programs, visit RCSJ.edu/HighSchool.  ​