Doing Double Time To Get To Graduation

COLUMBUS, Miss.(WCBI) – Graduating once is hard enough for most of us but no sweat for Columbus High Senior Christina Clark.

Clark along with 2 other students will earn both their high school diploma and associate’s degree from East Mississippi Community College.

“I’m pretty good at school but I don’t love it. So, I just wanted to go ahead and get it out of the way,”said Columbus High School Senior Christina Clark.

Not only get it out of the way but kill two birds with one stone.

Come mid-May Columbus High School Senior Christina Clark will have both her High School Diploma and an associate degree.

“I’m very excited to graduate twice. I think I’m one of the first to do that from Columbus High so that’s fun,” said Clark.

Clark says the East Mississippi Community College Dual Enrollment program is what made it possible.

“The success rate is tremendous. We recently did a study to see how many students matriculated to EMCC after graduating high school in the dual enrollment program and we’re in the high 40 % with that and out of those, maybe 38, 39 % actually graduate with their associates,”said EMCC Dual Enrollment Director Cindy Johnson.

Then Clark plans to attend the Mississippi University For Women after being accepted to the Bachelors Of Science Nursing Program.

Clark says it’s been a tough road but the long hours and dedication here are paying off.

“I’m excited about going to nursing school. At first I didn’t think I was going to get in but I just kept positive and it came out well,”said Clark.

“It’s beneficial for her and for us financially but it’s also beneficial for her because it allows her the chance to get into the program that she wanted to get in and to have some financial assistance with it. So her hard work is truly paying off,”said

EMCC Dual Enrollment Director Cindy Johnson says Christina’s success in the program is what they hope for every student who enters.

“I think it’s just another way that our community colleges collaborate with our area high schools. We work with them closely with this program. Myself and the other two with this program go out to these individual schools talk to students talk to parents at PTO nights. Just a lot of different ways of letting them be aware of the program,”said Johnson.

Christina will receive her Associates May 8th and her high school diploma May 15th.