Sadie LeMunyon, 12

     When she found out about the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree while in high school, LeMunyon said she was really excited.

     “My junior year we had to watch this presentation about Early College Academy. When I saw the presentation, I was like, ‘Hey that sounds really cool,’” said LeMunyon. “‘Two free years of college. You can get them out of the way and graduate with your associate’s degree. That sounds amazing.’”

     LeMunyon said she wanted to go right into a career after high school instead of doing more school, and the most challenging part of the journey was the amount of work.

     Jackson Gilbert, 12

     Taking college classes during high school was an opportunity to get done with college earlier and save money, said Gilbert. He said the program catered to the interests of the students, and he took classes that interested him, but juggling the workload wasn’t easy.

     “Have a plan. You have to make sure you get assignments done as soon as possible because the second you procrastinate with one class, it starts to fall into the other classes,” said Gilbert.

     Gilbert said it’s not as hard as people think it will be and that the hardest part was the first semester. The transition from high school to college was difficult.

     “As long as you’re up for a challenge, it’s one of the best things you can do to prepare yourself for college.”

        Claytin Webber, 12

     Senior Claytin Webber said pursuing his associate’s degree was an amazing opportunity and a great journey. It allowed him to learn new things while also being in a new environment and allowed him to come out of his shell a little more.

     “I was 16, and there were a bunch of people who were 18 plus, which made me kind of nervous when I started,” said Webber. “Now, toward the end of this journey, I would say I’m a lot more open than I was. I am still introverted, but I would say I’m a lot more open to talking to people now and expressing myself.”