Vocational-technical high school grads set new record with 367 members of the Class of 2026 earning associate degrees

Trenton, N.J. – A record-setting 367 students set to graduate this month from New Jersey’s county vocational-technical high schools have already earned an associate degree. This year’s total increased over last year’s by 30 associate degree recipients, indicating greater awareness among New Jersey high school students and their families about the range of educational opportunities provided by the county-based technical schools.

Among this year’s dual degree earners are several students who followed in their siblings’ footsteps. Essex County Schools of Technology’s Oluwadunsin “Dunsin” Olatunji entered the district’s Early College Program upon witnessing the success of his older sister, Oluwadunni. After earning an associate degree while in high school, Oluwadunni transferred two full years of college credits to Montclair State University, where she is pursuing a biomedical sciences degree.

Dunsin is transferring his credits to the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he will double major in electrical/computer engineering and mechanical engineering. “With the credits I’ve already earned, I’ll be able to double major and earn a master’s degree in just four years,” he emphasized.

Dunsin said ECST’s Early College Program enabled him to experience college and adapt to the rigor with support from his teachers. “The teachers set us up for college, because they taught a few lectures a week and then gave us the independence to work on our own to continue learning, just as we would in college,” he explained. “They were there to help if we needed them, but they encouraged us to adopt a mindset and new habits of being more self-directed.”

Jasmine Thach earned an associate degree through Camden County Technical Schools’ Early College Associate Degree (ECAD) Program. Much like Dunsin, Jasmine learned about the program from her older sister, Kaitlyn, who graduated from CCTS and the ECAD program in 2024. Jasmine also shares in Dunsin’s appreciation for the experience.

“The benefits to me go beyond any cost savings,” she noted. “When I applied to Johns Hopkins, I was able to show how I dealt with stress, managed a heavy workload and maintained my involvement in extracurricular activities and with my community.”

As a result, Jasmine received nearly a full scholarship to attend Johns Hopkins University in the fall, where she will major in mathematics. She will first graduate from CCTS’ Pennsauken Campus as the school’s valedictorian.

“It is inspiring to see more and more students graduate with their associate degrees and capitalize on opportunities to earn credits for college-level work through their high school CTE programs,” said Jackie Burke, executive director of the NJ Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools (NJCCVTS). “Each of the state’s 21 county vocational-technical school districts has articulation agreements with their county college, and other two and four-year colleges and universities. The collective goal is to add value to career and technical education to enable students to get a jumpstart on their futures, regardless of their college and career ambitions.”

Of the 367 students graduating from a county vocational-technical school this month with an associate degree, 74 are from Bergen County Technical School District, 60 from Cumberland County Technical Education Center, 51 are from Ocean County Vocational Technical School, 35 from Hudson County Schools of Technology, 31 from Camden County Technical Schools, 26 from Somerset County Vocational and Technical Schools, 23 from Essex County Schools of Technology, 17 from Gloucester County Institute of Technology, 17 from Morris County Vocational School District, 14 from Salem County Vocational Technical School District, 11 from Middlesex County Magnet Schools, five from Mercer County Technical Schools, and three from Sussex County Technical School. 

Meet a selection of students from across the state who made the most of their county vocational-technical high school experience by earning an associate degree this year:

Camden County Technical Schools

Jasmine Thach of Pennsauken, N.J., is valedictorian of Camden County Technical Schools’ Pennsauken Campus, graduating with a GPA of 105.196 and an associate degree earned through the CCTS Early College Associate Degree (ECAD) Program offered in partnership with Camden County College. Jasmine is completing the digital media communications program and will go on to attend Johns Hopkins University on nearly a full scholarship to study mathematics. She aspires to become an actuary before returning to school for her doctorate and teaching at a county college to give back to future generations of ambitious students, such as herself. Jasmine is following in the footsteps of her sister, Kaitlyn, who graduated from CCTS and the ECAD Program in 2024 and earned a full college scholarship. Kaitlyn is currently attending Grinnell College in Iowa studying biochemistry. In her free time, Jasmine plays the kong thom, a traditional Cambodian instrument, as well as the violin. Her involvement in high school included participating in a range of student organizations, including the Future Business Leaders of America and Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA). Jasmine’s younger brother will enter the ECAD Program next year as the third of five Thach children driven by the family’s high value placed on education.

Cumberland County Technical Education Center

Yeheira Acosta of Vineland, N.J., is graduating from Cumberland County Technical Education Center with an associate degree in computer science. She participated in the school’s Early College High School Program offered in partnership with Rowan College of South Jersey. Yeheira is completing the information technology career and technical education program and will use that strong foundation to continue building her skills in computer science when she attends Vanderbilt University in the fall. As a first-generation college student, Yeheira has inspired her family with her pursuit of an associate degree while in high school. Her sister, Yachell, is a junior at CCTEC in the engineering program and also on track to earn an associate degree while in high school. In recent years, her father also enrolled in an online cybersecurity program through DeVry University. When she has spare time, Yeheira applies her many skills as a freelance web designer and website manager for smaller organizations, including her church; she also offers freelance translation services.

Essex County Schools of Technology

Oluwadunsin “Dunsin” Olatunji of Newark, N.J., is graduating from Essex County Schools of Technology’s Newark Tech Campus after completing the engineering and robotics career program. He already earned an associate degree through the district’s Early College Program in partnership with Essex Community College. Dunsin’s sister, Oluwadunni, previously earned an associate degree from the Early College Program, which put her two years ahead in college when she enrolled at Montclair State University. Dunsin looks forward to applying the credits he has earned to the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he plans to double major in electrical/computer engineering and mechanical engineering. With the associate degree completed, he will be able to complete this dual bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in just four years. Dunsin said in addition to his sister and himself, his mother also attended Essex Community College and has a great appreciation for how education is a springboard to a fulfilling career. When she immigrated to the United States from Nigeria, she transitioned from being a nurse to an educator, starting at ECC to begin her focused education in this field.

Salem County Vocational Technical School District
Olivia Faulhaber of Lower Alloways Creek, N.J., is graduating from Salem County Vocational Technical School District from the child care and early child education program. She already completed an associate degree from Salem Community College and will apply about two years’ worth of credits to Rowan University in the fall. She will continue studying education and appreciates having the opportunity to jump right into her major with so many prerequisites completed at SCC. In high school, her passion for early childhood education was reinforced by having a daycare on campus, where she could immediately apply what she learned in her high school classroom to this learning lab. She also spent much of her senior year on work release at Little World in Pennsville, N.J. Olivia entered high school with clear college and career goals and had insight on the associate degree program after seeing her sister, Alexis, complete the degree at SCVTS. Olivia’s principal, Jason Helder, said her laser focus drove her to take advantage of every opportunity to get involved and get ahead at the vocational-technical school.

Sussex County Technical School

Aubrey White of Sandyston, N.J., is graduating from Sussex County Technical School from the engineering program. She also took advantage of dual enrollment opportunities and enrolled in some night and summer courses to accumulate 60 college credits and earn an associate degree before receiving her high school diploma. Aubrey will apply many of those credits to Penn State University in the fall and says she will have junior status when she starts as a materials engineering major. Aubrey was motivated to work with her counselor to determine a path toward earning the associate degree because she has struggled with dyslexia throughout her academic career. She wanted to prove to herself and others that anything is possible. She further inspires others through “Girls Without Limits,” a program she created for elementary- and middle school-aged female students to engage in STEM learning and explore future STEM careers.