Two years ago, leadership from Hopkinsville Community College paid a visit to the Cadiz Rotary Club — sharing visions of bringing Trigg County High School into the fold of its burgeoning Early College Program for aspiring juniors and seniors.
Tuesday afternoon, Trigg Schools’ Director of Curriculum and Instruction Lacey Shrock and one of those interested Wildcats — senior sports star Addison Humphries — shared their thoughts on the two-year journey, which in the end leads students to an associate’s degree before ever stepping foot on the high school graduation stage.
Shrock noted the balance between high school and college life can be awakening for young adults, and yet, 12 seniors and 11 juniors are well on their way to this success — with many freshmen and sophomores expressing sincere interest in this pathway.
Meanwhile, Humphries said she has balanced a summer job, soccer, track, power-lifting and other extracurricular activities with a rigorous course load that’s partially online and partially in-person at HCC’s campus in Hopkinsville.
Following May’s baccalaureate, Humphries will apply for HCC’s nursing program — but won’t have to dive into ancillary offerings, because she already has several prerequisites complete.
Instead, she will get to focus directly on nursing concepts and classes, and from there she hopes to join Murray State University’s School of Nursing program.
Each of her four semesters, she has taken about five classes — a pace comfortable for her — and she believes she has saved “at least of year” of undergrad work, and “maybe more.”
During her junior year, Humphries said her grandparents helped drive her over to Hopkinsville to attend those in-person sessions.
This past year, however, she’s had her driver’s license and borrowed her mom’s car to make it work.
Beth Mann, Edge Media Group President/CEO and Cadiz Rotarian, said transportation and on-campus participation were “initial concerns” when their organization was asked to jump on board as a local funding anchor.
Humphries, however, assuaged those points.
Shrock also noted that not only is the pathway “a choice” for students, but that students can also opt in and out as necessary. If juniors are wary but change their mind, they can convert their senior year into this direction, and if the junior year doesn’t go well, they can move back into the Trigg County setting with ease.
Furthermore, she and Superintendent Dr. Rex Booth confirmed that specific benchmarks must be met, and maintained, in order to qualify for the program and remain in its clutches.
Operating as dual-credit, coursework includes, but may not be limited to, English composition, math, psychology, humanities, history, communications, chemistry, economics, statistics and foreign language courses, along with pathway electives.
Officials have noted that one of the biggest benefits of the programming is cost savings. Students pay the dual-credit rate of $93 per credit hour, and that brings the annual cost to about $2,418 before scholarships. Eligible students can apply a combination of Traditional Dual Credit and Work Ready Dual Credit scholarships, which could significantly reduce out-of-pocket expenses.
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