UHS students commend dual enrollment program
By Steve Burwick
Star Staff
sburwick@starhq.com
Students at Unaka High School are excited to be part of the “Jump Start” Dual Enrollment Program at Northeast State Community College, through which they may obtain college credit before they complete their high school diplomas.
Nearly 500 students in the region served by Northeast State are enrolled in the program, and 10 UHS students are enrolled this year. Elizabethton High and Happy Valley High also participate, and Cloudland High has shown interest in the program.
“This is the first year we’ve been able to have the Dual Enrollment class here on campus,” said UHS Counselor Jon Minton. “We’ve had students take advantage of the program for the last four years, but they had to leave campus in order to take the classes.”
“I’m taking English in the dual enrollment,” said Natalie Johnson, who is a member of the National Honor Society (NHS) and president of the Health Occupations Students of America Club. “Somebody from Northeast comes every day, and we’ve been writing a lot of papers. It’s basically to get us ready for the college experience. He gave us a syllabus and a calendar and we just go by that. It’s not as supervised as in high school; it’s more independent.
“We’re currently trying to raise money for our HOSA club,” said Johnson, who is active in other school endeavors as well.
“This is our first year doing the Powderpuff (Football), so we’re busy trying to put that together,” she noted. “This summer I attended Girls State in Murfreesboro, and I played varsity basketball for the last three years.”
Johnson said she intends to study medicine as a career.
“I would really like to stay here and attend East Tennessee State University, and then go to the Quillen College of Medicine and become a doctor and work in this community,” she said. “My mom is a registered nurse and my sister is going to graduate in May as an RN, so my family has always been involved in the medical field and it’s always interested me. I think it would be rewarding too.”
Matthew Wood, who is also in the National Honor Society and serves as vice president of HOSA, plans to take pre-pharmacy classes.
“I’m taking English Composition I,” said Wood. “I like it, and I think Mr. (Jason) Ward, who teaches Junior and Sophomore Honors Classes, really prepares us for the class. It’s a great program. It’s a challenge, but I think it’s a challenge that we can all meet.”
Wood said he hopes to enroll in a pre-pharmacy program and become a pharmacist. “That’s my goal,” he said.
Drew Peters is a member of NHS, the Clean Team and co-president of the Future Business Leaders of America Club (FBLA).
“I’m taking English Comp I, Comp II and British Literature,” said Peters. “Mr. (Richard) Kennedy is the instructor. He’s very helpful. I’m also taking a probability and statistics class. It’s not part of the dual enrollment, but I’m taking it at Northeast.”
Peters plans to major in graphic design at ETSU and pursue a career in video game design or cinema.
Alyson Houghton enjoys the Dual Enrollment Program, describing the instructor, Richard Kennedy, as “amazing.”
“Currently I am a full-time student at Northeast,” said Alyson, who is president of NHS and co-president of the FBLA at UHS. She has also been class president the past three years.
“I’m taking three other classes at Northeast along with the dual enrollment,” Houghton said. “I’m only taking Spanish I and II here at the high school. When I graduate high school, I should have 31 hours toward college. I plan to attend Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, and major in secondary education with a concentration in English and a minor in Spanish.”
Houghton expressed a wish to study abroad. “I’d like to go to Spain,” she said.
She also works part-time at Barker’s Restaurant, is active in her church youth group and enjoys volunteering.
“I’m taking English in the Dual Enrollment program, and I’m also taking Probs & Stats at the Elizabethton campus (of Northeast State),” said Lynae Peters, who is NHS vice-president and has served as yearbook editor the last two years. She is also a member of the Carter County Clean Team, a student anti-litter group. “The English class is wonderful, and I like the other class, too,” she said. “My boyfriend is in college, and he says that all these things will help so much.”
She said she intends to study nursing, probably at ETSU or King College.
“With the Dual Enrollment Grant through the Lottery Scholarship, there is assistance,” said Minton. “It still involves out-of-pocket expenses, but it’s a discounted rate. It’s a win-win situation for whoever qualifies. It’s an attractive program.”
