On Saturday March 25, a prom was held in the MLK ballroom with the theme “Peruvian mascara.” For those who may be wondering why there was a prom – something usually associated with high school on a college campus, that’s because there are high school/college students here at Saint Augustine’s University. The students are part of Saint Augustine’s University Early College program.
The Early College program consists of students from the Wake Young Men’s Leadership Academy and the Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy. There are 57 students currently in the early college program. The students take high school courses for the first two years and then they take two years of college courses.
The still take one high school course a semester in order for Wake County to continue to pay their tuition. At the end of this program they would have earned 64 college credits with the option to do a 13th year of high school and also earn more college credits that wake county will still pay for.
Alicia Monforti a junior early college students says, “I really like attending an HBCU, and I likes the experience I am getting at Saint Augustine’s University.” Alicia would like to be more involved with the activities and clubs here at Saint Augustine’s University and she would love to have more interaction between the tradition college students and the early college students. This is not a normal college experience for the students in the early college program. They have to balance high school, college, work, and their social lives. Their high schools doesn’t provide extracurricular activities like sports, or drama and poetry clubs.
“Sometimes I wish I would have attended a traditional high school, but then I think about all the opportunities and advancement the early college program offers me so I don’t feel so bad about not attending a normal high school,” said Alicia.
Mr. Reginald Towns said, “I really likes the early college program and I’m excited to be working with them on their first year here at Saint Augustine’s University.”
Newly elected SGA President Henry Capers said, “I look forward to openly working with and including the early college students in the falcons nest next year.”
— Christian Roberson
