95 students from Victory Early College and 71 students from the Early College Academy at Southridge will be graduating with their high school diploma this month, with 116 of these students simultaneously earning an associate degree from Lone Star College-North Harris.
The class of 2015 will be the inaugural senior class at the Early College Academy at Southridge.
The Victory Early College opened in the fall of 2007, and is collaboration between Aldine Independent School District and LSC-North Harris. In 2012, the Early College Academy at Southridge, a collaboration between Spring Independent School District and LSC-North Harris, opened its doors to students. The Early Colleges offer students the opportunity to earn their high school diploma, while also earning college credits toward an associate degree, or two years of college credits to transfer to a four-year university.
“We are very proud of all of our graduates,” said Dr. Charlotte Twardowski, director of educational services and partnerships at LSC-North Harris. “The Early College programs have been quite successful over the years, and we are excited have the opportunity to have our first ever senior class at Southridge walk the stage to receive their diplomas as well.”
The college is a small high school cohort that has limited enrollment and small class sizes, giving students the opportunity for more personal attention from instructors. Students at Victory Early College and Early College Academy at Southridge do not have to pay for tuition to attend the school or to earn college credit.
Students meet with counselors at the end of their eighth grade year to determine if this is a program that they would be interested in pursuing. The target population to recruit is the middle 60 percent of students in the eighth grade classes. For them, it provides an opportunity to expand their education in a way that they would not otherwise have.
Following a rigorous application process, including an essay on why they want to attend, a limited number of students are selected to attend the college, making a four-year commitment to the program.
“It is wonderful to see these students take advantage of earning credits through these programs, to help lead them forward in achieving their goals in higher education,” added Twardowski.
This academic year LSC-North Harris had 6,600 dual credit enrollments, a 28 percent increase over the previous year.
For more information about the Early Colleges, please contact Charlotte Twardowski at Charlotte.K.Twardowski@lonestar.edu.
Lone Star College-North Harris is located at 2700 W.W. Thorne Drive, one-half mile south of FM 1960 East, between Aldine-Westfield and Hardy Roads. For more information about the college, call 281.618.5400 or visit LoneStar.edu/NorthHarris.
Lone Star College has been opening doors to a better community for more than 40 years. Founded in 1973, LSC remains steadfast in its commitment to student success and credential completion. Today, with almost 83,000 students in credit classes, and a total enrollment of more than 95,000, Lone Star College is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the nation. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., is the chancellor of LSC, which consists of six colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, LSC-Tomball and LSC-University Park, seven centers, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.
####