Eleven seniors from this rural high school graduating with associate degrees

The 11 seniors that will graduate high school with already completed associate degrees. | Courtesy Firth High School FIRTH – Some high school seniors from a rural eastern Idaho high school will graduate high school with a head start on college. Eleven students from Firth High School will graduate with a diploma and an associate degree. This means that many of them will be able to earn their bachelor’s degree in only two years. “(This) allowed them to actually pursue a college education and get them jump-started enough that they can now get scholarships. (Now) college is not just this nebulous dream for them,” said Jessica Harker, head of the school’s science program. Some of the students who now have already completed some of their college education wouldn’t have that option without the dual-enrollment classes offered by their school. These classes advanced them through high school while they also earned college credits at no charge. According to Becky Thayne, a math teacher at the school who also runs the early college program, it all got started thanks to the College of Eastern Idaho transitioning into a two-year community college in 2017, as well as interest from the students in earning college credits. RELATED | College of Eastern Idaho becomes official with ribbon cutting (2017) Harker got approved to teach multiple dual-credit science courses, which prompted Thayne to approach CEI’s early college team and learn what it would take to build Firth’s program. Many of the other teachers at the school joined Harker in getting approved to teach dual-credit classes. And as some of the students started taking these classes, they told their teachers that they would sign up for more classes if they were offered. “(When) you have students who are motivated and driven and want this, and then when you pair that with a faculty that … wants to offer those opportunities … that’s where you get this kind of program,” Thayne said. Tyson Street, an 18-year-old senior graduating with his associate degree, took his first dual credit class with Thayne, which was Personal Finance 102. Thayne told Street that if he took more dual-credit classes, he could have his associate degree by the time he graduated. Tyson Street | Courtesy Tyson Street “I just thought that’d be a really good idea,” Street said. Street now plans to attend the University of Idaho to earn a degree in biological engineering. After that, he wants to go into graduate school to earn his master’s degree in genetic engineering, and then go into biotechnology and gene therapy. In gene threapy, Street would contribute to efforts that could cure a wide range of diseases, like AIDS, cystic fibrosis or cancer, by looking at and then modifying cell structure. The teacher Street said put him on the path to pursue science was Harker, particularly in her Microbiology 111 class. “She’s actually the person that got me into science. I’ve taken a lot of my college science credits from her, and she’s really inspired me to become a scientist. And she’s a super great teacher,” Street said. Because Street has already earned his associate degree, the scholarships that he’s also earned will allow him to not have to take out student loans to get a bachelor’s. This will allow him to spend his time in college focusing on his chosen field, and deciding what path he wants to take within it. “I get to really delve into the specifics of fields and see if I want to do them. I get that advantage, and I really appreciate the opportunity,” Street said. In general, the students who take early college courses have a specific career goal in mind and are able to get ahead in it. For instance, those planning to go into nursing are able to take all of their prerequisites for a nursing program, which includes Microbiology 111. “They have goals and they have careers they want to do, so they personalize their curriculum and the classes that they take so that they can put themselves ahead,” Harker said. Thayne added that these students also have more confidence as they enter their chosen programs. “They’re not so scared to go to college. It’s something that they truly believe that they can do. (If) they hadn’t had any experience with it, they probably would not have thought that that would be an avenue for themselves,” Thayne said.The post Eleven seniors from this rural high school graduating with associate degrees appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com