54 McHenry County high school graduates have double the reasons to celebrate this spring.
The students, currently enrolled in the Dual Degree program at McHenry County College (MCC), will be walking across a stage two times in the next few weeks to receive both their high school diploma and associate’s degree.
The Dual Degree program, currently offered at Woodstock D200, Harvard High School, and Huntley High School, gives select students the opportunity to gain experience in college-level coursework, expedite an advanced degree, and potentially get started in their career earlier—all while still having the ability to participate in traditional high school activities such as fine arts, athletics, and clubs.
“The program is designed to set students up for life-long success,” said Cara Schultz, Director of College and Career Readiness at MCC. “We know that high school students who participate in dual credit programs are more likely to enroll in college and successfully complete a degree or credential. These Dual Degree graduates have already accomplished that first goal and are well prepared to transfer to universities this fall.”
This year’s Dual Degree graduates include 9 students from Harvard High School, 11 from Woodstock High School, 16 from Woodstock North High School, and 18 from Huntley High School. This is the second graduating class of Dual Degree students from Woodstock D200 and Harvard CUSD 50, but the first class from Huntley.
“This is something we’ve dreamed about for a long time,” said Huntley High School Associate Principal Shelly Kish. “I’m so happy that we’ve finally been able to get this off the ground, not only getting all the classes set up but also working to identify the students who we thought would be most successful in this program. It just puts them on their path so much faster and at a reduced cost.”
One of Huntley’s graduating students, Amanda Sarrol, is continuing her studies this fall at the University of Illinois to major in biochemistry on the pre-med track. Her goal is to become an anesthesiologist.
“It’s a little surreal to me,” she said of completing the Dual Degree program. “I know we’ve all worked so hard, so it’s pretty exciting we get to do this.”
Another one of Huntley’s students, Kyle Kane, has plans to become a firefighter. He is starting EMT school this summer.
“I wanted to do the Dual Degree program because I knew I’d get ahead from it,” he said. “I knew it would be a good opportunity as long as I managed my time.”
All the students emphasized that time management was crucial to success in the program, but were still able to participate in a variety of activities outside of school.
“The Dual Degree program forced me to become more responsible and taught me to take greater initiative in my education,” said Josue Figueroa, a Dual Degree student from Woodstock North High School who will be attending Washington University in St. Louis in the fall. “The summer after freshman year, I started taking asynchronous classes where I had to complete work on my own time—and I quickly learned that it is easy to fall behind if you don’t manage your time well. The skills that I have developed since then have helped me create better study habits and pay more attention to deadlines.”
The Dual Degree graduates walked in MCC’s Commencement Ceremony on May 11, then were celebrated afterwards at a special reception for them and their families.
“I feel prepared to take my next step,” said Brian Cordova Flores, a Dual Degree student from Harvard High School who will be continuing his education at UW-Whitewater in the fall. “Most people say transitioning from high school to college is difficult, but I will basically be transitioning from both college and high school to just college.”
Learn more about Dual Degree programs at MCC.