Throughout the 2025-26 school year, the William Floyd High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) Medical Assisting program engaged in a partnership with Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) to help provide seniors with a beneficial option for higher education in the field of healthcare. Partnering with FDU Senior Vice President Ken Schneider, WFHS assistant principal/CTE administrator Robert Felicetta, CTE Chairperson Allison Wiegand and the Medical Assisting faculty, they worked to create an opportunity for students to enroll in FDU’s health program with guaranteed support services and streamlined admissions.

The process began with the 2026 class of Medical Assisting seniors being encouraged to submit applications to FDU as part of their college search. Then, FDU’s Director of Admissions Alexa Perez and members of the admissions staff visited WFHS to host an on-site Instant Decision Day, which resulted in more than 60 students earning acceptance. From there, the Medical Assisting seniors visited FDU’s Madison, New Jersey campus to tour academic facilities and residence halls, meet with university leadership and participate in hands-on medical demonstrations as a way to further explore this collegiate opportunity.

Following their visit, several students identified FDU as their top-choice institution and participated in individual meetings with admissions and financial aid representatives. These meetings resulted in the participating students receiving highly-competitive financial aid packages, which included an $8,000 scholarship specifically awarded to WFHS CTE Medical Assisting students. Those students also learned that they could get a head start on their college education and earn anywhere from six to 12 college credits through a simple review of their high school transcripts.

At the end of this process, four students - Marcci Feliz Encarnacion, Julianna Melendez, Alyssa Mercado and Samantha Segura - officially committed to FDU, and, as members of the inaugural WFHS cohort, have been assigned a dedicated advisor and will be receiving additional benefits as pioneers of this exciting new partnership. 

Of the four students who will be studying at FDU, three of them will also be participating in a unique “Earn to Learn” opportunity that was developed through this partnership with FDU and Atlantic Health’s Morristown Medical Center. They began working as medical assistants immediately as part of FDU’s summer residency program while also taking their first summer course. They will continue their employment throughout the academic year while they continue to pursue their college degrees.  

“This partnership has created a powerful pathway from high school to higher education and employment, opening doors for our students and providing them with unprecedented opportunities for success in the healthcare field,” said Mr. Felicetta.

Special thanks to FDU for providing our students with this excellent opportunity for higher education and congratulations to the four participating students!