Mission Accomplished?
Not Yet. But College Credits? Yes.
Our Future: It’s something we all worry about as we push through high school. What am I going to do after I graduate? There are many things to consider about college. However, there are even more opportunities than you realize reaching to college when you are still in high school. Currently I attend three schools: Arizona Conservatory for the Arts and Academics (ACAA), Sequoia Choice and Glendale Community College.
My home schooling began in Kindergarten, when I started at the Arizona Conservatory for Arts and Academics (ACAA) in eighth grade. Jumping from home school to a classroom of more than three kids (I have two younger brothers) was way different than what I was used to. I enjoyed the interaction with other students, but after a year at ACAA, the whole high school drama aspect of conventional schooling turned me off.
Since I had gotten into creative writing a few years earlier, as well as studying American Sign Language for over five years, being afforded certain advantages of home schooling, I saw an opportunity to test out of my English class as well as my American Sign Language class. ACAA’s Director of Student Services allowed me to take the two tests and I passed. This helped put me on track to graduate early, and I was allowed to begin college courses through Sequoia Choice’s dual enrollment program. This allows you to enroll in College courses, while obtaining credit during your senior year of high school. The best part, about Sequoia Choice, is the opportunity to avoid college course fees as long as I maintain a C average. I had started thinking seriously about college early on in high school, but I never thought it would actually be a possibility. Now my dream is coming true.
During my senior year, I started taking classes at Glendale Community College, then transferred to Phoenix College. I also started doing a course in the Thunderbird Resource Center (TRC), which allowed me to work at my own pace while making time for my college homework. Yet, going to college was a whole new experience.
It’s funny. I don’t remember my first day of Preschool or Kindergarten. My first day of high school was just like going back to eighth grade after summer break. But the first day of college was completely different! I’ve been attending for four months now and I fit in relatively well. I've accomplished things that most students have not. As it is, I will be graduating from ACAA this spring with approximately twenty-five college credits (the equivalent of one year of college).
Sequoia Choice’s dual enrollment is an opportunity most students don't even know they have. It’s a hard choice to make. You have to believe that you can do it. That’s where it starts. You have to be willing to work hard, and do the required work. Once you get that mindset, though, you can do the same thing I’m doing. What’s nice is that the dual enrollment program is available to anyone! It’s a great way to begin your future early.
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