Gaining College Experience in High School
Gaining College Experience in High School
Through different programs and partnerships, the University helps middle and high school students get a headstart on their higher education journeys while enhancing a variety of skills, from academics to cultivating self-esteem.
Dual-Credit Students Study Lake Fred’s Environment Firsthand
Savannah Spinelli peered through the microscope to examine the leaf litter sample she pulled from Lake Fred earlier in the day.
Working for years at a Girl Scout camp, the Absegami High School senior loves nature, so she was excited to look for any microorganisms she could find.
Students from Cedar Creek, Absegami and Oakcrest high schools walked around Lake Fred to collect samples of leaves and water quality during the first Environmental Science and Dual-Credit Program Outreach Event.
“I’ve come to Stockton before, but this is a little bit different. This is right up my alley,” the Galloway Township native said.
“I should have brought my rain boots, honestly, because I would have been in that water immediately. I’m not afraid to get dirty and get wet. I’ll just go into the water anywhere.”
Spinelli was one of about 40 students from Absegami, Cedar Creek and Oakcrest high schools who visited Stockton on Dec. 5, 2023, for the first Environmental Science and Dual-Credit Program Outreach Event.
The event was created by Shawn Manuola, the administrator of Stockton’s high school dual-credit program, and Jessica Hallagan, an associate professor of Environmental Science, to give high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to visit classrooms on campus, meet faculty and ask questions about the different parts of the environmental sciences, such as wildlife ecology, hydrology, water quality and soil science.
Stockton's dual credit program gives students a jump-start on college by allowing them to earn college credits while completing their high school course requirements simultaneously.
Students participating get a reduced tuition rate of $100 per credit or $400 for each four-credit course, with all additional fees waived. The University offers nearly 100 different dual-credit courses, including an “Intro to Environmental Studies” class, and partners with high schools in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Impact of High School Dual Credit Emphasized
The Stockton University Board of Trustees held its regular meeting May 1, 2024, in the Campus Center Event Room, where students and a high school partner spoke about the importance of Stockton’s High School Dual Credit program. The University offers dual credit courses in 59 high schools in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware to nearly 2,700 students this year.
Sophomore Nick Guerriero, an Environmental Science major from Surf City, said the dual credit courses he took at the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) in Stafford Township gave him a head start on his college degree.
“I graduated last May from MATES. Most of the classes I took for college credit aligned with Stockton’s Environmental Science classes, and I came in a full year ahead. The cost was affordable, and it was a worthwhile investment,” Guerriero said.
Annabella Hund, a sophomore Liberal Studies major, recalled the dual-credit Holocaust and Genocide Studies course she took while a student at Egg Harbor Township High School.
“My teacher helped us to prepare for college by making us work at a college level. My dual credit course laid the groundwork to help me prepare for college more than any other class,” Hund said.
MATES principal Alison Carroll said the partnership with Stockton since 2012 has helped MATES students advance in their majors as they move on to college.
GOALS Program Enables Students to Look Toward the Future
Happiness and excitement filled the room as rising Atlantic City and Pleasantville high school seniors in the GOALS/GEAR UP program found out if they were accepted to Stockton through an Instant Decision Day (IDD) program on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.
“When I opened my folder, and I saw that it was an acceptance letter, I was really proud of myself,” Andres Bayona said. Bayona, a first-generation student originally from Colombia, plans to study Music next fall.
“I just can't wait to tell my parents because this is something that they wouldn't expect from me without their help. I'm a first-generation student, so I did everything by myself and with my friends. We all helped each other out. We got this far, and we finally got accepted to our first college. We're just really happy about that.”
“I feel really happy inside, even giggling,” Shadley Trezil said. Her older brother’s experience in Stockton’s Educational Opportunity Fund program and her experience being in GOALS since the sixth grade is what made Stockton her top choice once she graduates from high school.
She anticipates joining Stockton’s dual-degree, seven-year program with the Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine and becoming an emergency room physician.
“When I officially go here, I will apply to EOF because (my brother) has had so many opportunities, teachers and mentors, and he’s been so lucky so far,” Trezil said. “This is my top school because it feels like home. I know this place, my family and community are here and there are amazing people who want to give someone like me so many opportunities to succeed in this world.”
According to Rawan Maarouf, an academic/career counselor for GOALS, the purpose of the IDD was to provide students with a head start among their peers.
“This is a really unique opportunity that we bring to our students because they haven't started their senior year yet,” Maarouf said. “During the summer, they learn how to apply to college, do reference letters and go through that whole process. I think it's really, really cool that they could walk into their senior year with a college acceptance letter.”
