Dual Enrollment Students on the Fast -Track to Success

Friday, May 19, 2017

More than 700 students from more than 50 local high schools participated in dual enrollment courses this year. Hundreds of these students and their families celebrated their accomplishment on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, with cheers and applause. The event took place in the College’s Health & Wellness Center gym, and was followed by a summer barbeque-style reception with a photo-booth and graffiti wall, and a video featuring many of the program participants.

Kicking off the festivities, Nuri Chandler-Smith, Dean of Academic Support and College Pathways Programs, welcomed the high school students and their families, and acknowledged Dual Enrollment staff and partners within the community.

“This is a fantastic opportunity,” said Dean Chandler-Smith. “I am truly proud to have you all here, and to call you BHCC students. The kind of determination and vigor that it takes for a high school student to complete a college course, whether it be one class or 30 or 50 credits, that is an incredible feat.”

Dual Enrollment programs at BHCC allow high school students from Greater Boston area schools to earn high school and college credits simultaneously while gaining familiarity with the college experience.

“Keep going,” advised Malden High School senior Carla Rosales-McFarlane to her Dual Enrollment peers at the celebration. “When you get that urge to give up, don’t.”

At the event, Zaida Ismatul, Dual Enrollment and Pathways Assistant, recognized and presented awards to staff from four community partners who have demonstrated dedication and commitment to the program: Everett High School, Pioneer Charter School of Science, Revere High School and Malden High School.

Dual Enrollment Program Coordinator Gretchen Lahey presented this year’s Student Achievement and Recognition Awards. Awards were granted to students who demonstrated exceptional academic achievement in their courses, and to students who exhibited determination and resilience over the course of the academic year.

Student Achievement Award recipient and Chelsea High School senior Diena Romero is graduating with 28 credits, and is one of ten students graduating with more the 24 credits. In the fall Romero will attend UMass Boston. She believes the program allowed her to explore her interests to better inform her for choosing a major. “Thanks to Dual Enrollment, I was able to take different courses, and ultimately make up my mind about what I wanted to study,” said Romero, who plans to major in nursing in the fall. “The program aided me not only as a student, but also in my personal growth.”

View more photos along with the event program with graduates’ names on the Ceremony Highlights page.

 

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