The Early College program at Berkshire Community College (BCC), also known as dual enrollment, provides an opportunity for students to take courses at BCC while still in high school and earn college credit. The program has many success stories, but it isn't every day that high school students complete all the requirements of an associate degree before graduating high school. Such is the case for Mitchell Arseneau and Paige Schultze.
Arseneau, 18, recently graduated from Lenox High School. A self-described "independent thinker," he struggled with traditional learning models and was frequently bored. When he found out about the Early College program at BCC, he made a plan: skip junior and senior year of high school and instead enroll full-time in computer science courses at BCC.
"I never intended to go to college — I did it because it was free and because I enjoyed it more than high school," Arseneau said. With plentiful job opportunities in the computer field, he is now ready to enter the workforce.
Mitchell Arseneau
Schultze, 17, just graduated from Monument Mountain High School. She took her first class at BCC as a sophomore, studying liberal arts with a concentration in psychology. By the time she was a junior, she realized she could do much more than take a few classes.
"I thought, well, I'm already halfway there, so I might as well do the whole thing," Schultze said. And, now that she has completed all the requirements of an associate degree, she will be attending Suffolk University in the fall.
Adam Klepetar, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, praised Arseneau and Schultze for their accomplishments.
Mitchell and Paige took the ball and ran with it. Now, they have an incredible advantage by already having an associate degree when most of their peers are just starting out.
Paige Schultze
But Klepetar is quick to point out that dual enrollment takes many forms. "Even taking just one class can be incredibly beneficial, because it not only provides college credits, but it also exposes high school students to the college mindset and better prepares them for continuing their education or entering the workforce."
Supported by BCC's dual enrollment grant, the Early College program allows eligible Massachusetts high school students to take up to 15 credits. Tuition and fees are waived. Participants can take a variety of courses ranging from English, science, math and history to art, humanities and computer science.
For more information, email earlycollege@berkshirecc.edu.