Atlantic City, N.J. — For 16 Atlantic County Institute of Technology juniors, the college experience started early this fall at Stockton University’s Atlantic City campus.

The students are the first high school cohort in the Levine-Gormley STEM Scholars Pathway Program, a $2 million initiative designed to create a pathway from high school to college — and ultimately to STEM careers in the region.

While continuing their junior year at ACIT, the students are taking Programming and Problem Solving at Stockton Atlantic City, earning college credit in a course that is also a core requirement for Stockton’s bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.

“I’ve always wanted to do more STEM and focus on math, and this program reaffirms that,” said ACIT junior Sean Scott. “I’ve taken computer science at ACIT where we focus on coding, but now I’m excited to build upon that and learn more programming and problem solving.”

Stockton launched the Levine-Gormley STEM Scholars Pathway Program in January through a $2 million commitment from the Levine and Gormley Family Foundations. The initiative provides dual-enrollment opportunities for ACIT students as well as scholarships and support for Atlantic County students who pursue STEM degrees at Stockton.

Lee and Sandra Levine and New Jersey Senator Bill and Virginia Gormley are longtime Atlantic County residents and community leaders with a long history of civic engagement and philanthropy in the region.

The program features a cohort-based model in which students with specific STEM interests are grouped together to foster peer support, aligned advising and targeted professional development.

The students also will benefit from enrichment programming at the university’s Atlantic City campus, including career preparation, internship opportunities, industry engagement, networking events and coordinated campus visits.

Lee Levine and Bill Gormley welcomed the students to their first class at Stockton Atlantic City on Wednesday.

“I admire you because you’re all taking courses I was afraid to take. You’re here because you’re bright, you worked hard and you qualified,” Gormley said.

For students like Isabella Holloway, the program is an opportunity to begin building toward a future she already envisions. Holloway hopes to pursue a college education in digital studies.

“Being a part of this program wasn’t a part of my plan, but I’m really grateful I was accepted. I hope to learn programming, web design and app development so I can go out into the world with more skills under my belt,” she said.

Helping students turn those interests into college and career opportunities close to home is at the heart of the program, said Dan Nugent, vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the Stockton University Foundation.

“This program creates a pathway for talented students to see a future for themselves right here in Atlantic County,” Nugent said. “By giving students access to college-level STEM education while they’re still in high school, we’re helping them build the skills and confidence to pursue careers in growing fields and ultimately strengthening the community and workforce they call home.”

That pathway extends beyond the dual-credit experience. In June, four incoming Stockton students were selected to receive the program’s first scholarships. The scholarships support students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics at Stockton.

-Story by Stacey Clapp; Photos by Abbigail Erbacher