As the school year winds down, NEC waves goodbye to graduating seniors. Among those who will graduate is Kaylee Montgomery, a Health Science major. She served as the 2026 class president, is a third-year RA, treasurer of the Tri Beta Honor Society, volleyball player, and lacrosse player. She is also a part of the NH-INBRE research program through the science department. She will be applying to dental school this summer. While waiting to hear back for an acceptance, she’ll be working as a dental assistant.
Mongomery’s research focused on seeing how natural agents can stop bacteria growth in the mouth. Through this she was accepted to present in San Diego, CA., at a conference in March called IADR. Montgomery presented her research at the INBRE conference at the Mt. Washington Hotel, the student spotlight here at NEC, and at the ENEBC here at NEC.
Montgomery said NEC has prepared her for what’s next and she has benefit from having close relationships with professors.
“I really benefited from having a close relationship with my professors and small class sizes, where teachers actually care to prepare students for the next steps,” she said.
“Along with a plethora of opportunities on campus,” she said, “I was a part of so many different opportunities. I think being on a larger campus, students don’t get to be involved with that many resume builders.”
Her favorite memory at NEC could come as a shock to some people, but it was when the volleyball team had their preseason conditioning. Typically, these practices can be horrible but she said she embraced it. “We kind of just all preface it as we’re gonna go through this horrible situation together. So in the end, you can flip it to be like I had all these people who had my back during something that I did not want to be going through,” she said.
“I think that is kind of what NEC stands for in a way, like community, and so to know that I had a community having my back during something so bad was probably my favorite memory.”
