High School Students Get a Head Start at Early College
education, higher education, matthew pence, natalie caviness, randolph early college high school,
By the time Natalie Caviness was 15 years old, she had earned 11 college credits, thanks to Randolph Early College High School.
When she graduates from high school at age 18, Caviness will not only receive her high school diploma but may have earned 64 college credits – enough for an associate’s degree.
“It would be pretty cool to already be a junior in college on the same day as my high school graduation,” says Caviness, currently a sophomore at Randolph Early College High School. “This is the opportunity that students have here.”
Randolph Early College is a public high school that opened in August 2006 on the campus of Randolph Community College. It is one of 70 early-college high schools across North Carolina that allow students to earn up to 64 college credits by the time the graduate from high school.
“Right now we have grades nine and 10, and we will add another grade in 2008-2009 and another in 2009-2010,” says Cathy Waddell, principal. “We will have around 400 students once grades nine through 12 are in place.”
Students are chosen for Randolph Early College High School through an application process, and Waddell says students are accepted from a wide spectrum of backgrounds.
“We often look at kids who are traditionally under-represented on college campuses, such as students who are economically disadvantaged and kids who are the first in their families to enroll in college classes,” she says. “Our students range from very bright to struggling, but they all have a desire to work. We choose 100 ambitious new ninth graders each year from the approximately 170 applications we receive.”
Caviness says she has noticed that some of the students who struggled in middle school are catching up to the top students at Randolph Early College.
“Everyone can learn a little something from everyone else, and this high school allows that to happen,” she says.
Caviness took four required high school classes in ninth grade along with four college-credit courses. The college courses were introduction to computers, physical education, sociology and technology in society.
“It is a tough work load, but we are here to blend in with regular college students and are expected to act as adults,” Caviness says. “In fact, one of my best friends during my current sophomore year is a lady who has three children and is in one of my college English classes.”
As for her future, Caviness hopes to eventually attend the University of North Carolina.
“I have always wanted to be a pharmacist, but now I’m thinking about government communications,” she says. “It’s nice to take college courses in high school so that I can figure out what careers I might like, and which ones I’m not interested in. There are so many positives to Randolph Early College High School. It’s just a great idea, and I’m lucky to be here.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Todd Bennett
