A step ahead
Partnership gives high school graduates 2-year jump on college
Spring graduation will be a dual celebration for 17 seniors at Dove Science Academy who are on track to earn both a high school diploma and an associate degree from Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City.
They are the first cohort of students in a concurrent enrollment partnership between Dove and OSU-OKC.
“Our commitment is the success of these students,” OSU-OKC President Brad Williams said. “I hope to be in contact with them five years from now to see where they are. I firmly believe the sky’s the limit for where they will go in their lives.”
It’s an extraordinary opportunity for students and their families, said Silap Berdiyev, director of academics and counseling for Dove Schools. About 80 percent of families in the Dove district are low-income and 80 percent of the students are the first in their family to go to college.
“Zero dollars out of pocket for 63 credits, which is an associate degree,” Berdiyev said.
The cost is covered by OSU-OKC and grants from Boeing Co. The company contributed $60,000 in 2017 to launch the program, and recently gave another $70,000 to keep it going.
The program is six semesters, including summers, beginning with students entering their junior year.
The first cohort of 20 students began in summer 2017, and 17 have continued. A second cohort of 25 students entered the program this summer.
“We told them there will be pain. We told them there will be hard times,” Berdiyev said. “They have to sacrifice some of the fun (of high school).”
Independent study
Yarira Zermeno, a senior who wants to become a registered nurse, was unsure when she first heard about the program.
“I knew it would be a good opportunity, but I didn’t know about the workload and everything,” Zermeno said. “After the first semester, I definitely knew it was something I wanted to finish.”
One of the biggest differences from high school is the teaching style of professors, she said.
The program eases students into the college world, while still giving them a lot of support. OSU-OKC provides tutors and success coaches, while Dove builds study time into the school day, Berdiyev said.
“It’s not all about the content. It’s also the social environment,” he said. They learn to work more independently and without teachers reminding them about homework.
Berdiyev tells them, “Very soon when you go to college, this is the level of work you will be dealing with without this much support.”
GiaHan Nguyen, a junior who wants to be a surgeon, said taking more responsibility for classwork and projects is fine because she’s an organized person.
“You have to be able to watch out for your own grades,” Nguyen said. “You have to look out for yourself and then get yourself in a place where you can try to succeed.
“It’s an eye-opener.” Her cohort met with the first group before beginning the program. “They were more of a guinea pig to start off,” she said.
Both Nguyen and Zermeno said they would recommend the program to other students, but would warn them to be prepared for less guidance from teachers.
Balancing act
Berdiyev said about one-third of each class was selected for the program based on academic standards and teacher observations.
He is excited about the success of the first cohort as they near graduation in May.
“We’re very excited, anxiously awaiting that moment to see what the future holds for them,” he said.
Between now and graduation, officials will be meeting with the seniors and their families to talk about the experience, Williams said.
“We know it’s the right thing to do, but we want to make sure students can balance everything,” he said.
Some have to work or take care of younger sibling in addition to all the time they have to invest toward their degree, Williams said.
“They will have earned it. I can tell you that,” he said. “It’s a monumental accomplishment for the individual and their family.”