Students considering college while still in high school may find inspiration in the story of sisters Lele and Maxie Brock, both graduates of the Early College Academy (ECA) program at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. Thanks to the program, both sisters are now thriving at West Virginia University and achieving milestones years ahead of schedule.
Maxie Brock recently completed her junior year at WVU, where she is majoring in Journalism with a minor in Marketing. She said the Early College Academy experience prepared her for the realities of college coursework and communication.
“I started the ECA program while attending New Beginnings Christian School,” Maxie explained. “We actually advocated to bring the program there because we thought it was such a great opportunity.”
After completing her first year online, Maxie transferred back to Mingo Central High School to finish the program in person. She said the combination of online and face-to-face learning gave her valuable experience before entering a university setting.
“I learned a lot about how online college classes work, which really helped because so much of college is online now,” she said. “If I hadn’t done ECA, I would have been really confused going into college. I also learned how to communicate with professors. In high school, you don’t really have to email teachers or advocate for yourself the same way you do in college.”
Lele Brock, now a junior at WVU majoring in Elementary Education, said the credits she earned through Southern’s Early College Academy transferred seamlessly and allowed her to move directly into upper-level coursework.
“I was able to transfer every credit I took at Southern over to WVU,” Lele said. “That got all my general education classes out of the way, so I went right into my junior-year cohort and started my education classes immediately.”
Lele recently completed her first year of student teaching and is now on track to graduate a full year earlier than many of her peers.
“I didn’t have to take any extra classes because all of that work was already completed at Southern,” she said.
For Maxie, the head start created opportunities beyond the classroom. She recently earned a competitive internship in Washington, D.C.
“You have to be a junior to qualify for this internship,” Maxie said. “Because of ECA, I’m getting to do this at 19 years old while many others are 20 or 21. It’s allowing me to gain workforce experience earlier and save a lot of money.”
Both sisters encourage current high school students to consider the program, even if the coursework seems intimidating at first.
“A lot of teachers may tell students that college classes are hard, and yes, it is college work,” Lele said. “But it’s nothing you can’t do if you stay dedicated.”
She also emphasized that participating in ECA did not prevent them from enjoying the traditional high school experience.
“Our high school worked closely with Southern to make sure we still got to participate in all the activities and experiences students worry about missing,” Lele said. “Southern’s professors also understand that you’re still in high school and they work with you.”
Southern’s Early College Academy allows eligible high school students to earn college credit while completing their high school education, helping students save time and money while preparing for success at four-year universities and in the workforce.