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Early college students serious about school
The Wilson Daily Times via Yellowbrix
November 18, 2009
Rayven Anderson has fallen in love with high school.
“I’m really serious about my education,” she told the Wilson Community College Board of Trustees Monday afternoon.
Rayven was one of three freshmen from the Wilson Early College Academy, which is housed on the college’s campus, to talk with the trustees about her high school experience thus far. Rayven is a high school freshman and a college freshman. When she graduates, Rayven will have a high school diploma and an associate degree. She’s taking the college courses for free.
The academy, a joint project between the college and Wilson County Schools, has 49 students enrolled at this time. The academy, which is in its first year, lost one student to Fike High School.
Rayven likes how her peers are focused on learning and teachers don’t have to stop classes to handle discipline problems. Rayven also the maturity level of the students and how they have all come together like a family.
“There will be great scholars who come out of the program,” Rayven predicted.
Robin Edmundson, the academy’s principal, reviewed with the trustees how the 50 freshmen were selected and the demographics of the group. Edmundson said they looked for students who would be the first in their families to go to college and for low-income students. Selection was also based on interviews, essays, End-of-Grade test scores from seventh grade, report cards from eighth grade and discipline reports. Edmundson stressed the selection committee didn’t go out looking for “A” students. Instead, they wanted to find students who need additional help and encouragement to be successful.
Out of the 49 students, 33 are girls, 16 are boys. Sixty-one percent of the students qualify for free and/or reduced lunch and 88 percent are first generation college students.
Edmundson said two of the three teachers have their National Board Certification, and the staff participates in professional development on how to teach these children differently. For example, 80 percent of the instruction is done by the students, and 20 percent is done by the teachers, according to Edmundson.
