Sophomore Matthew Williams goes to college for free. But he says students thinking of following in his footsteps should pay attention to his advice. “If you want to come here, you’ve got to be a hard worker and you can’t play around,” he said.
The clock is ticking for rising ninth-graders who want a shot at attending Gaston Early College High School. In May, 50 students will be randomly chosen from a pool of applicants to attend the school in the fall.
Eighth-graders interested in applying get applications from their middle school counselors. The forms are due back to counselors by Feb. 20.
Students at the school, located on the Dallas campus of Gaston College, can study five years to get their high school diplomas while earning college credit. It’s possible for students to graduate high school with a college degree. Twelve students made up the first graduating class last May. Eight earned associate of arts degrees and four graduated with college credits.
School officials expect the number graduating with degrees to rise as enrollment increases. There are 150 students now enrolled at the school. The school expects to reach capacity of 250 in the next couple of years.
No easy ride: Williams and fellow sophomore Yuliana Melendez said the free college credits brought them to the school. It doesn’t bother them that the early college does not have an athletic program. Melendez said she spends her time studying, but there’s also time for clubs and field trips.
She was overwhelmed by the workload at first, but has grown used to it and learned to push the limits of what she can accomplish. “When I got here, I was like oh my goodness all this work,” she said. “… I was so stressed out. I was like, ‘These people are crazy. There is no way I’m going to get this done.’”
Williams said he studies better in a small environment, versus a larger high school with more students. He’s also excited about earning an associate of arts degree from Gaston College without paying tuition. “Money’s tight right now. That’s the main reason (I’m here),” he said. “It was a big priority for my family, too, but I was also motivated behind it to go here.”
‘Head start’: Gaston Early College began in 2008 by recruiting students from Bessemer City High School. The first class studied at the high school until 2011, when classes moved to the Gaston College campus.
Sheila Wyont, principal of Gaston Early College High School, said the ultimate goal is for graduates to move on to four-year colleges and universities. “This really is a head start for students. We want them to get that college credit and move on,” she said.
Last school year, 196 rising ninth-graders applied for acceptance to the school. A selection committee will look at the applications received by Feb. 20 to make sure everything has been completed, including a student-written essay. Then an outside organization will use a lottery system to select 50 students.
You can reach Wade Allen at 704-869-1828 or twitter.com/GazetteWade.
Interested Gaston Early College High School?
What: Open house and information session
For: Eighth-graders interested in attending the school and their parents
When: 6 p.m. Feb. 3
Where: Lena Sue Beam Early College Building on the campus of Gaston College in Dallas