High School students throughout Cecil County and beyond are taking advantage of Cecil College’s Early College Academy. April Stern, Cecil College’s director of advising and dual enrollment, recently met with Cecil County Life to talk about the success of the program and how it helps prepare high school students for their collegiate journeys.

Cecil County Life:  The Early College Academy at Cecil College began in 2014-15 with a partnership with the Oxford Area School District and has branched out since to include an academy for homeschooled students and a partnership with Elkton and Perryville high schools. In what ways does the academy enrich the educational journey of those who participate in the program?

April Stern: I’m really proud of our program because of all of the benefits that it provides to the students participating in it. Students are surrounded with support from day one until they walk across the stage at graduation. It gives students a head start to the college experience. We start off with courses that may not be as rigorous as those that they will move onto throughout the years. They have the opportunity to explore elective courses to get a feel for what they will want to major in after graduation as well.

An educational curriculum always begins with a vision. Take me back to the seeds that were first planted for the Early College Academy. Clearly, someone at the college saw a gap – or a potential audience - that needed to be addressed.

Dr. Diane Lane, the now since retired VP of Student Services, had a vision of providing an opportunity for high school students to not only take college courses but to complete an entire associates degree while in high school. She took the chance and built the program in partnership with Oxford Area School District and look where we are today! It’s thriving and growing each year.

Part of the curriculum at the Early College Academy focuses on students being guided through seminars and individualized advising to help them build the academic skills needed to succeed in the classroom. What are the advantages of embracing the Academy’s curriculum, rather than pursuing academic counseling and tutoring at a student’s high school?

We work very closely with the guidance counselors at each high school that the Academy is housed. We approach the student’s journey throughout the four years as a cohesive team. We want to ensure that the students are successful on both the high school and college side of the house. I think that makes the program even more successful because of the positive working relationships we have with each school. Be it the principal, guidance counselor, secretary or even those that work at the district offices, we maintain open communication to ensure the students are taken care of.

Very often, it’s not what a student learns in high school that will benefit them in college, but how they have learned to learn. Talk about the intangibles – the learning beyond the curriculum - that a graduate of the Early College Academy will be equipped with when they receive their Associate of Arts degree from Cecil College.

They are essentially two years ahead of their fellow students when transferring to a four-year institution. They’ve learned how to advocate for themselves, how to utilize the services that a college offers, what a course syllabus is, how to read a college level textbook and how to process that information. Our students understand that when a paper/project/homework is due, they get that work turned in on time. Some of these things sound simple, but I know that as a freshman in college straight from high school, I had to learn all of these things and sometimes I learned them the hard way. Our Early College Academy students enter college having already acquired that knowledge, and have been extremely successful because of it.

Efforts count, but results speak larger volumes. How and where have some of your students taken what they have learned at the Academy?

We’ve had students go all over the United States to continue their education. Texas, Kansas, the Carolinas, Florida, Colorado and to schools all over Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. Last year, a student went to the Naval Academy, as well. Colleges and universities are seeing these students as great candidates for their own programs due to the hard work and dedication it takes to be a high school student while earning their college degree.

For the thousands of parents of high school-age students who are reading this article and may be curious to know how the Academy may help their child construct their educational path, what would you like to tell them?

I would tell them that this is an opportunity for their student to get ahead, save money and complete high school in a completely different way. It’s an awesome program and I know that it will continue to grow as more and more of the surrounding community learns about it and see’s the successes of these amazing students.

What is your favorite spot in Cecil County?

My home with my husband, our two dogs and our cat.

You toss a dinner party and can invite anyone – famous or not, living or not. Who would you want to see around that table?

All of my grandparents, as well as my in-law grandparents. I want to hear their life stories as an adult to really appreciate who they were and what they did for their families.

What item can always be found in your refrigerator?

Dill pickles and olives!

To learn more about the Early College Academy at Cecil College, visit www.cecil.edu/eca