Gill St. Bernard's Dual Enrollment Initiative with NJIT: A Pathway for Advanced Learning 

Gill St. Bernard's (GSB) is thrilled to announce the successful launch of its Dual Enrollment Math Program in partnership with the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).  

This groundbreaking initiative, which began during the 2023-2024 academic year and was led by Math Department Chair Dr. Manny Hercules P ’25, ’30, ’36, ’37, enables high-achieving students to take advanced math courses and earn college credits from NJIT. Different than the more traditional Advanced Placement (AP) classes, which are college-level courses that are taken in high school and noted on a student’s high school transcript, the Dual Enrollment program allows students to graduate with an actual college transcript from NJIT.  

To be able to offer this extraordinary benefit to its students, GSB went through an extensive validation process with NJIT and, after careful consideration, was designated a satellite campus. While other schools may allow students to take college courses for high school credit, students typically have to travel to those campuses, causing disruption to their day and high school schedule, or the classes have to be taken remotely. As an actual extension of NJIT, when students elect to take GSB’s Dual Enrollment courses, those classes are taught by GSB faculty, they are on campus and in person, and they are part of the GSB experience. 

Current Dual Enrollment student, Harry Pambianchi ’25, shared, “I decided to take Differential Equations because I believe that math is the most fundamental, absolute subject that there is, and so being able to understand it and study it at the highest level available to me—and getting credit for it at a reputable institution—is incredibly important to me. The coursework is going to not only prepare me “knowledge wise” for personal fulfillment, but also for what I want to do in college, which is to pursue physics.” 

Classmate Sanjay De Silva '25 stated that, “I've always been super interested in math and learning as much math as possible is something I value. Ever since I started taking calculus, I thought it was super interesting. So the opportunity to take math at a much higher level than at other high schools was really attractive to me and was why I wanted to do the program.” 

The genesis of this program started two years ago, inspired by conversations with alumni and community members who expressed a desire for more challenging STEM coursework, particularly in mathematics. Dr. Hercules explored ways to introduce these higher-level courses, and once he established the accreditation with NJIT, the school launched the program by offering Multivariable Calculus. Currently, GSB is accredited to offer various post AP courses including Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, and Discrete Mathematics. This year, students enrolled in Multivariable Calculus and Differential Equations, giving them complete exposure to college curricula.  

Ema Hercules ’25 explained that “I've always liked math from a young age, and being able to enroll in summer courses as well as an advanced track has really helped me pursue my passion for mathematics. And now, being able to try Dual Enrollment classes through NJIT and take Differential Equations at a college level has really challenged me.”  

Chris Kolb ’25 agreed and added, “I enjoy doing math, and the Dual Enrollment program gives me the opportunity to take more complicated math classes. The coursework will help in college, as I’d like to pursue Chemistry, and I will be able to apply everything I learn here on day one.” 

As it continues to position itself as a leader in STEM education, Dr. Hercules is busy mapping out a signature engineering program to begin in the 2025-2026 school year. Students are eagerly anticipating this newest addition to the GSB course offerings, and with math and engineering programs designed to enrich students’ academic experiences, they will be well prepared for the careers of the future. 

Dr. Hercules said, “We’re always thinking about how to improve our programs to meet the demands of our students. GSB is the only school amongst its peers designated an NJIT satellite location and offering students the opportunity for a college transcript upon graduation. The Dual Enrollment Program has been a great success, and we’re looking forward to expanding into new areas like engineering to continue providing students with cutting-edge educational opportunities.”