VOICES FROM CHS
By:Matthew Burd
Imagine getting one year of college education at no expense no tuition, no room and board, and no costs for books.
Now imagine that you can get that year of college education while still in high school. For 140 high school seniors, this dream is a reality made possible by Mercer County Community College’s "Tech Prep" program.
MCCC has joined with the Mercer County Technical School to provide high school seniors a head start on college classes. Currently there are six areas of study offered by MCCC: business communication, computer systems networking technology, criminal justice, fire science technology, professional cooking, and radio/television production.
Eleven seniors from Hopewell Valley Central High School currently are enrolled in Mercer County Tech Prep programs.
"I like it because you go there for what you want to do," said senior Andrea Anastasio who is studying hotel and restaurant management at Mercer. "You get to see ahead of time what college is really like."
Students can begin the application process during their junior year of high school with the help of their guidance counselors. To be eligible for the program, students must have passed the High School Proficiency Test, which indicates that they are capable of doing college-level work. In addition, the student’s guidance counselor and teachers will assess the student’s abilities to determine if he or she is capable of meeting the demands of the program.
"Tech Prep is a wonderful program but the students have to be committed," said Hopewell Valley Vice Principal Jeffery Corelli. "It’s like an Advanced Placement program for students who wish to work in technical fields."
Senior Mike Brecko, also a restaurant and hotel management student, said, "You don’t do classes that you don’t need for the job you are going into."
Students in the Tech Prep program earn 20 high school credits toward their graduation but must still complete the graduation requirements that are not offered at Mercer County. According to Mr. Corelli, these usually include physical education, international relations, and English. To complete these classes, students attend the high school in the morning and then begin classes at MCCC around 12:30 p.m.
"Tech Prep is a good program to get into the school pays for everything," said senior Carrissa Savino, who is studying criminal justice. "At the end of the year I will have 22 college credits. It’s almost like taking a full year of college while I’m still a senior."
After high school graduation, the credits earned at MCCC can be transferred to other colleges.
"The Tech Prep program provides an impressive transcript for students who plan to apply to another college," said Mr. Corelli.