{"id":83,"date":"2020-11-04T21:27:23","date_gmt":"2020-11-04T21:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/early-college-article\/"},"modified":"2020-12-04T16:12:16","modified_gmt":"2020-12-04T16:12:16","slug":"hit-the-ground-running-with-an-early-college-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/hit-the-ground-running-with-an-early-college-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Hit the Ground Running with an Early College Program"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Did you know that you could earn college credit while in high school? Diablo Valley College and its partner school districts enable students to get an early first taste of college.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Why start college early?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Helvetica;\">Early college programs offer many benefits to students who participate. Students are able to receive support and resources that help ease the transition to college. In addition, early college programs reduce both the time and cost of a college education.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-89 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Heather-224x300.jpg\" alt=\"Heather Fontanilla\" width=\"190\" height=\"254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Heather-224x300.jpg 224w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Heather-764x1024.jpg 764w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Heather-768x1029.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Heather-1146x1536.jpg 1146w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Heather-1528x2048.jpg 1528w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Heather-scaled.jpg 1910w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cAn <a href=\"http:\/\/www.air.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Early-College-Continued-Success-Longer-Term-Impact-of-ECHS-September-2019-rev3.pdf\">American Institutes for Research study<\/a>* shows that students who join early college programs are more likely to graduate from high school. This is especially true for students who are underrepresented in higher education. Students who complete these programs are also more likely to continue their college education. They are also more likely to graduate,\u201d said Heather Fontanilla, Ed.D., a Mt. Diablo school district administrator for College Now at DVC.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">High school students also benefit by getting to know students outside their bubble. Ginger Clark, an instructor for California High School, said, \u201cStudents from our school are grouped together with students from other high schools who have similar academic goals. They also have a chance to work side by side with adult college students in their classes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-91 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Ginger-Clark-300x296.jpg\" alt=\"Ginger Clark\" width=\"219\" height=\"216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Ginger-Clark-300x296.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Ginger-Clark-1024x1010.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Ginger-Clark-768x758.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Ginger-Clark-1536x1515.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Ginger-Clark.jpg 1993w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 219px) 100vw, 219px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Due to COVID-19, classes in DVC\u2019s early college programs are primarily held online at this time. DVC\u2019s services are also available online to ensure that students have access to the support they need.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cDVC has done a fine job moving all their resources online. Services include tutoring for math, English, science and other subjects, wellness counseling, food pantry access, and Student Life activities,\u201d said Ada Ocampo, the manager of early college experiences and student engagement at DVC.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Partnerships<\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_103\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-103\" class=\"wp-image-103 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Majors-Exposed-2020-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Diamante Scholars Zoom\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Majors-Exposed-2020-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Majors-Exposed-2020-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Majors-Exposed-2020-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Majors-Exposed-2020-1536x866.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Majors-Exposed-2020-2048x1154.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-103\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Diamante Scholars Zoom Meeting<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">DVC has developed several early college programs in partnership with local school districts. Three programs support students attending high schools in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District: College Now; Diamante Scholars; and the STEM Academy at Ygnacio Valley High School. The CollegeConnect program supports students attending high schools in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">In addition to these special programs, DVC has written agreements that make it possible for students to earn college credit for certain classes offered at their high school. The instructors for these classes have aligned their coursework and learning outcomes to match DVC course offerings. If the class is approved by DVC, then a written agreement is signed for three years. The college provides a final exam that will be given in the high school class. In most cases, for each approved class, the student can earn three units of credit.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Early College Programs<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">College Now<\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_126\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-126\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-126\" src=\"http:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/College-Now-300x178.jpg\" alt=\"College Now\" width=\"300\" height=\"178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/College-Now-300x178.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/College-Now-1024x609.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/College-Now-768x457.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/College-Now-1536x913.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/College-Now-2048x1217.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-126\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">College Now 2019-20, prior to transition to online learning.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">College Now is a two-year program open to all Mt. Diablo Unified School District students.\u00a0 The program is a good choice for students who are seeking an alternative to the traditional high school experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cThe ideal student who can benefit from College Now might not have straight-A\u2019s. It could be a student with average grades but who has a desire to explore college,\u201d said Rosa L. Armend\u00e1riz, the dean of student engagement and equity at DVC.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">College Now students take three high school classes taught by MDUSD teachers \u2013 English, Social Studies and Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID). AVID helps build study skills and supports students preparing for college. The student completes their schedule with college classes. All classes are held on the DVC campus, so students do not attend their home high school.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">To find out more about College Now, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mdusd.org\/collegenow\">www.mdusd.org\/collegenow<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Diamante Scholars<\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_102\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102\" class=\"wp-image-102 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/thumbnail_MVIMG_20200818_103727-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Diamante Scholars\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/thumbnail_MVIMG_20200818_103727-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/thumbnail_MVIMG_20200818_103727-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/thumbnail_MVIMG_20200818_103727-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/thumbnail_MVIMG_20200818_103727.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-102\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;\">Diamante Scholars 2019-20<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Diamante Scholars launched in spring 2020 as a partnership between DVC, MDUSD and a private donor and DVC alumnus, Peter Zaballos. This is a bridge program that helps high school students transition to college. Students begin with a 1.5-unit college &amp; career readiness course in the spring of 12th grade. They then pursue internship and career exploration opportunities during the summer. Students attend workshops that build communication and problem-solving skills.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-105 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/IMG_5532-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Ada Campo\" width=\"190\" height=\"253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/IMG_5532-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/IMG_5532.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cI graduated from college wishing I had access to a support program that connected me to my career via internships. My fellow first-generation college classmates felt the same way. This is surprising as we all attended an elite university. I led the design of Diamante Scholars with this experience in mind,\u201d said Ocampo.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Students interested in Diamante Scholars need to be committed to attending DVC full-time after graduating from high school.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">To find out more, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.diamantescholars.com\">www.diamantescholars.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">STEM Academy<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Ygnacio Valley High School (YVHS) students can choose to participate in the new STEM Academy program. The program launched this year within the school\u2019s engineering pathway.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Students begin the program during their freshman year in high school and continue until they graduate, taking a mix of DVC and YVHS classes each year. Classes are taught on the YVHS campus for the first three years of high school. In their senior year, students take classes on the DVC campus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cIn 9<sup>th<\/sup> grade, they take career counseling courses and the YVHS Engineering Essentials class. In 10<sup>th<\/sup> grade, students take general education courses that are connected to the engineering sector. In 11<sup>th<\/sup> grade they will take Intro to Engineering Design and in 12<sup>th<\/sup> grade they will take Computer Integrated Manufacturing,\u201d said Fontanilla.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Students who complete the STEM Academy earn 28 units towards the engineering technology program at DVC. Many of these units can also be used in other DVC programs, as well as other two-year and four-year colleges.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">YVHS will begin recruiting the next group of students in February. Interested students can submit an application to apply for the program.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">CollegeConnect<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Rising 11<sup>th<\/sup> and 12<sup>th<\/sup> grade students attending a high school in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District are eligible to participate in the CollegeConnect program at DVC. Participating students enroll in a shortened high school schedule so that they may attend college classes at DVC\u2019s San Ramon campus. With this program, it is possible for students to complete up to 30 units of transferrable college credit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cStudents also attend support classes to help with time management, study skills, higher level writing skills, and more,\u201d said Clark.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">For more information, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.srvusd.net\/collegeconnect\">www.srvusd.net\/collegeconnect<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">*Source: Song, Mengli, and Kristina L. Zeiser. \u201cEarly College, Continued Success: Longer-Term Impact of Early College High Schools.\u201d American Institutes for Research, American Institutes for Research, Sept. 2019, www.air.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Early-College-Continued-Success-Longer-Term-Impact-of-ECHS-September-2019-rev3.pdf.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">STUDENT SUCCESS<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Itzel Gutierrez \u2013 Diamante Scholars<\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Business Marketing<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-87 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Itzel-Gutierrez-Student-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Itzel Gutierrez\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Itzel-Gutierrez-Student-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Itzel-Gutierrez-Student-769x1024.jpg 769w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Itzel-Gutierrez-Student-768x1023.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Itzel-Gutierrez-Student.jpg 961w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Itzel Gutierrez graduated from high school in May, and is currently majoring in business marketing at DVC. She joined Diamante Scholars to help her explore career options.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cI was completely lost career-wise on what I wanted to major in. I was also worried about going through community college alone with no help. I applied to Diamante Scholars because I thought it would be a good way for me to get the right guidance and support,\u201d said Gutierrez.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Gutierrez feels that the program has made a strong impact on her college success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cI started my fall semester with so much confidence, thanks to the support and guidance I received. The program has helped me to open up and slowly leave my shyness behind,\u201d said Gutierrez.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">After completing her associate degree, Gutierrez plans to transfer to obtain a bachelor\u2019s degree in business marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cI hope to obtain a career in social media marketing as a social media manager,\u201d said Gutierrez.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Poorvi S. Venugopal \u2013 CollegeConnect<\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Business Accounting<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-108 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Poorvi-Venugopal-300x239.jpg\" alt=\"Poorvi Venugopal\" width=\"300\" height=\"239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Poorvi-Venugopal-300x239.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Poorvi-Venugopal-768x611.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Poorvi-Venugopal.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Poorvi Venugopal participates in the CollegeConnect program through California High School in San Ramon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cWe get two periods off from high school which lets us balance our time better and use that time to complete work for DVC classes. The four classes at Cal High and two at DVC have been great in that I\u2019m not as stressed as I would be if I were doing a full schedule at Cal along with my DVC classes,\u201d said Venugopal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Venugopal highly recommends the program to other students.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cIf students are interested in CollegeConnect, I would 100% tell them to apply. It is a great experience and unlike anything else you can do in high school. You make new friendships and get an \u2018early college experience\u2019 which I really enjoyed,\u201d said Venugopal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">After she graduates, she hopes to transition directly to a four-year university in California.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cI would like to major in accounting as math has come easier to me and been more interesting since I was younger. After getting my bachelor\u2019s degree, I\u2019d like to get a job while working towards getting my master\u2019s degree, or possibly a PhD, said Venugopal.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sonya Kapur &#8211; CollegeConnect<\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Psychology\/Cognitive Science<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-85 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Sonya-Kapur-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Sonya Kapur\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Sonya-Kapur-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Sonya-Kapur-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Sonya-Kapur-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Sonya-Kapur-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/11\/Sonya-Kapur-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sonya Kapur chose the CollegeConnect program so that she could experience a college classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cI wanted to understand the environment and be able to experience it before I graduated high school. I wanted to gain knowledge in an advanced setting and challenge myself,\u201d said Kapur.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Through the CollegeConnect program, Kapur has been able enroll in classes not offered at her high school.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cBeing in a college classroom allows you to mature and understand the depth of what you\u2019re learning. Although college classes may be hard, gaining this experience is the best thing you can do before you graduate high school,\u201d said Kapur.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">Kapur plans to attend a four-year university after graduating high school.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u201cI plan to major in cognitive science, and I am hoping to pursue research,\u201d said Kapur.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Did you know that you could earn college credit while in high school? Diablo Valley College and its partner school districts enable students to get an early first taste of college. Why start college early? Early college programs offer many benefits to students who participate. Students are able to receive support and resources that help&#8230; <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/hit-the-ground-running-with-an-early-college-program\/\">read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":95,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,1],"tags":[],"article_type":[],"class_list":["post-83","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dual-enrollment","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.3.1 (Yoast SEO v25.3.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Hit the Ground Running with an Early College Program - Winter-Spring 2021, Volume 3 \u2013 Issue 2<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-2021-volume-3-issue-2\/hit-the-ground-running-with-an-early-college-program\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hit the Ground Running with an Early College Program\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Did you know that you could earn college credit while in high school? Diablo Valley College and its partner school districts enable students to get an early first taste of college. Why start college early? Early college programs offer many benefits to students who participate. 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