I started Calhoun Community College’s Dual Enrollment Program in 10^th grade. One of the positive aspects of being a virtual student in 2020-2021 was that I started the Dual Enrollment Program. As a sophomore, I took US History I and II. My high school counselor suggested I take Music Appreciation, also, since Calhoun offered a buy-one-get-one-free course for the spring of 2021.

Calhoun’s Dual Enrollment Senior Advisor, Mr. Heath Daws, and Calhoun’s Director of Dual Enrollment, Mrs. Gwen Baker, have been outstanding in helping me determine additional classes I could take over the summer and during the school year. Taking dual enrollment courses was a win-win for me. The dual enrollment course would count as a high school course, and it would also count as a college course. Both Mr. Daws and Mrs. Baker did an outstanding job ensuring that all my courses would transfer to Auburn University.

At the end of my junior year of high school, I earned a Short-Term Certificate in General Studies with Distinction. I will walk at Calhoun Community College’s graduation to receive my Short-Term Certificate a few weeks before graduating high school. When I graduate from Austin High School on May 23, 2023, I will have completed 36 hours of dual enrollment courses. I currently have a 4.0 college GPA. Being 36 hours ahead in college is crucial as I will pursue dual degrees in Industrial Engineering and Computer Science at Auburn University. Needless to say, I am a huge fan of dual enrollment and recommend this avenue to other students as well. Thank you, Calhoun Community College!

Jeremiah Davis joined Calhoun’s Dual Enrollment Program in 2018 as a high school junior in the Welding certification program. He graduated from the program in May 2020 adjacent to his high school graduation that same summer.

Jeremiah’s advice is that “Taking charge of your future now makes it more certain. The Dual Enrollment Program at Calhoun is a very advantageous head start to any career, especially any technical positions. This program is also a great step towards broadening your horizons and being more confident as you head into college.”

Jeremiah is currently an Aerospace Welding degree student at Calhoun Community College, graduating in 2023, and has already worked at several top Aerospace companies like SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, and currently a Rocket Engine welder at Blue Origin.

Calhoun Community College is excited to announce that dual enrollment student, Lucas Hasting, has met the requirements to graduate this next week.

Many people are probably confused as to how 18-year-old Lucas Hasting of Decatur, AL, will walk across the stage to receive an Associate of Applied Science degree with a concentration in Cyber Security and Information Technology from Calhoun before he receives his high school diploma. How is that possible? Well, it’s simple, and it’s called dual enrollment.

“While sitting in my advanced freshman English class at Austin High School, we were told by our teacher that representatives of Calhoun Community College wanted to speak with us,” commented Hasting. “My classmates and I assumed it was just general information in regards to attending the college after graduation, but that wasn’t the case. The representative explained how we could attend college while going to school at the same time. I was already enrolled in AP courses, but this was different. They explained that the college courses we would be taking could be used towards a degree and that not only could I finish high school with an advanced diploma with my AP courses, but I could also receive a college degree. At that point, I was sold,” said Hasting.

Calhoun’s Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit program allows eligible high school students to enroll in college courses concurrently with their high school classes. Students have the option to attend these classes at their high schools or one of Calhoun’s college campuses, and they receive both high school and college credit for those courses. “We can’t stress enough to parents and students how important and vital it is to understand what an awesome program this is,” commented Gwen Baker, Calhoun’s Dual Enrollment Director. “Not only are you helping your child to advance, but they could enter into the workforce with a great paying career at 18 and little to no student loan debt at all,” added Baker.

Hasting enrolled at Calhoun in the summer of 2020 and began taking our free Python course. He wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to major in as he was still a high school student thinking about college. After completing a research paper for one of his high school classes, he decided he wanted to pursue a Computer Information Systems degree as he loves Cyber Security.

“I knew how important this would be for not only my high school goals but also my future career in Cyber Security. So I set aside time throughout the day to concentrate on completing my college work for the week in advance and kept up with any other tasks by keeping lists,” says Hasting. “It wasn’t too hard for me. I would say the hardest part was when I entered my junior year of high school and I had to take AP Computer Science A, which required more work outside of class. It became difficult to juggle those projects, but I am proud to say, I made it through,” he added.

Hasting will participate in Calhoun’s graduation ceremony at the Von Braun Center on May 12th where he will receive his college degree and will receive his high school diploma from Austin High School on May 24th.

Using the Workforce Scholarship Grant, I have not only earned credits for college but also a short-term certificate in Computer Information Systems in the process. I am thankful that I was able to dual enroll while I was in high school, as it allowed me to get a head start on my college education. Thanks to these credits and certificate, I will be starting in an internship program on the arsenal as soon as I complete my high school degree. This will help me get experience and pay my way through the engineering program at UAH.

Calhoun worked directly with me to make sure that all the classes I took would help me reach my goals and to select classes that would be the most beneficial to me. As a result of Calhoun’s excellent dual enrollment program, I was able to complete my education, participate in various sports, and operate my own business all while in high school. I believe that taking classes at Calhoun has prepared me for the college experience which I will be starting in the fall.

Calhoun has helped me jumpstart my college career, and I will be graduating with 60+ college credits which means I will be completing my Associates of Science (AS) Degree in General Studies at the same time I graduate high school. I am very active in the Alabama Beta club serving as the Vice President for 2020-2021. Juggling college classes with a leadership role and a full-time job at Chick-fil-A has been challenging considering our circumstances over the last year.

I enjoy participating in my community by being involved in Athens Mayor Youth Commission and previously Limestone L.E.A.D. I appreciate Calhoun working directly with me to ensure all my classes were smooth sailing. I will be transferring to Athens State University this fall to continue my education. Thanks to Calhoun’s Dual Enrollment program, I have kickstarted my college career while in high school and will finish my bachelor’s degree in Business Management in only two more years.

Dual enrollment has helped me get my college career started early; I will graduate high school this semester with around 60 hours of college credit. I have also been able to participate in college activities like the Warhawk Ambassador program where I earned scholarship dollars, leadership skills, and made a lot of friends. I have been inducted into Pi Theta Kappa, which is a college honor society where I can be involved in activities and earn transfer scholarships as well. Calhoun’s dual enrollment program has enabled me to take college classes in high school and will allow me to graduate early and get a job sooner.

He has been with WVTM 13 News since 2013. Mr. Davenport was previously employed by WIAT TV and WAFF 48. He received his Bachelor Arts in Communication and Media Studies from Alabama A & M University in 2012. Before transferring to Alabama A & M University, Mr. Davenport attended Calhoun Community college as a Dual Enrollment student.

“Maria showed up in my class in 2010, and she looked so young that I thought someone had brought their child to class. Turns out, she was the advanced age of 15. Obviously, she was an excellent student,” Dr. Burke recalls.

Maria clearly was an outstanding student, graduating from high school at the age of 16. She went on to attend the University of Alabama – Huntsville (UAH), then on to the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, where she graduated at the age of 24.

“I was honored by Dr. Torres’ family to be invited to speak at a reception in her honor at the Torres home. She told me how much Calhoun meant to her educational journey and what a positive experience she had during her time at the college,” Dr. Burke said.

“It was my pleasure to have played a very small part in her academic journey,” commented Gwen Baker, Director of Calhoun’s Dual Enrollment program. “In the college’s dual enrollment program, we run across many jewels, and Maria is one who we are very proud of,” added Baker.

Atchison, a former homeschooled dual enrollment student is currently enrolled in Calhoun’s Welding Technology program, where he has maintained a perfect 4.0 every semester. “I had no idea I would find my true passion for life at such an early age,” commented Atchison. The Hartselle, Alabama native goes on to say, “Scholarships such as this one from Trustmark are so important to students like me. They not only assist financially, but they position us to advance in our trade, which means more job opportunities.”

The $200 scholarship is awarded to members of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society who plan to enter the workforce upon the completion of an associate degree or certification. “Members of Phi Theta Kappa are committed to academic excellence, and we are proud to partner with them to recognize their accomplishments,” commented Melanie Morgan, Trustmark Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Communications and Marketing. “We would like to congratulate the scholarship recipients and look forward to seeing them develop into future leaders, as well as making significant contributions to their communities,” added Morgan.

“The one-on-one training I received from my Calhoun welding instructors while obtaining my certificate is what helped me to land a welding job with an amazing aerospace company,” said Atchison.

Approximately 74 percent of students attending associate degree-granting colleges will enter the workforce following graduation, and one in four Phi Theta Kappa members is a career-technical student. The costs of required industry certifications are directly passed to the students, and the Trustmark Workforce Development Scholarship is one of many scholarships available to assist students with those expenses.

“We are so proud of Barry and all he has and still is accomplishing at Calhoun,” commented Dr. Joe Burke, Calhoun Interim President. “Last year, Barry was a welder on

Calhoun’s Project MFG Competition team, and our College took home the gold. That competition speaks volumes to his dedication, training and vast understanding of welding,” added Burke.

“From welding to nursing, many career fields require a certification prior to employment, and these certifications can be costly,” Phi Theta Kappa Foundation Executive Director Dr. Monica Marlowe said. “We are committed to removing these costs, which can be a barrier to students entering the workforce. Congratulations to the recipients of this scholarship, and thank you to Trustmark for your support,” added Marlowe.

“Calhoun is a magical place, the people, the culture will make you fall in love with it, and I am thankful for my PTK sponsors and faculty who helped me to obtain this scholarship,” Atchison said.

“Dual Enrollment is an excellent way for students to experience the rigors of college academics and earn college credit. I taught Dual Enrollment through CCC and had personally seen how this program helps students.”

It has given me an opportunity to get a head start on my education and future career. I would not have been able to do this without the classes being paid for. This is a huge benefit to me and my family, it is something the I never would have been able to do otherwise. I’m grateful for Gwen and Heath’s assistant and for answering all the questions that my mother and I had. I found out about the dual enrollment after my high school technical center instructor retired mid semester. I wish I would have known about it sooner. I will be well on my way to a certificate when I graduate high school in May and almost halfway through getting my associates. This is a huge benefit to me. I have really enjoyed my time at Calhoun, the classes I’m taking and my instructors.

I learned many life skills during my time in the EMT class. I became a more independent individual while taking this class, as well as gained an ample amount of medical knowledge. Many doors have opened for me because I took this class at such a young age. I have been working as an Emergency Medical Technician in the state of Florida since graduation, and I absolutely love my job. I was able to immediately move to Florida on my own, fresh out of high school with a job lined up for me as an EMT. The dual-enrollment program at Calhoun Community College is awesome. The teachers are amazing and truly care for each of their students. 10/10 I would definitely recommend this class to any upcoming high school seniors!

“Caroline has had an exceptional experience with Dual Enrollment at Calhoun Community College. She began taking dual enrollment classes during the summer of her sophomore year. As a result of the dual enrollment classes, she will enter Jacksonville State University in the Fall of 2019 two courses short of being a Junior at JSU. As an educator and parent, I would highly recommend dual enrollment.”