“Getting my associates degree from 欧亚体育 while I was in High School is one of the best decisions I have ever made, 我很感激OC给了我这个机会.”
At the age of 14 Kara Williams began her journey as a dual-credit student.
她很年轻，但决心要成功.
我八年级的时候, I attended an assembly at my middle school about the Falcon Early College High School. I knew that was what I wanted to do –– I wanted to attend the Early College High School. 到第二年我上九年级的时候, 这所学校已经搬到了OC，成为了欧亚体育学院. Our class will be the first OCA class to complete four years at OC.”
Natalya is the first high school graduate and the first college graduate in her family. 她知道她想上大学, but she also knew that she would not have the financial means for that, 所以ECHS会帮助她实现目标. After her first year at OCA, at the age of 14, her parents were no longer “in the picture.” Natalya made the decision to move to Mexico to live with her grandmother.
“我需要回到敖德萨去上学. 我这个年纪的大多数孩子都有父母可以依靠，但我没有. My whole future was in my hands and I had to make the best decision for myself which was coming back and pursuing an education.”
Her aunt in Odessa agreed to take her in, give her a home and care for her. She returned, determined to get back into Odessa Collegiate Academy. Natalya was successful at convincing the school officials, but she had to repeat her 9th grade year.
Natalya had a goal that was driving her – it was really important to her to graduate with her classmates, 现在谁在学校比她高一年级. 要做到这一点, she had to attend school during the regular school year and during the summer sessions. For two years now, she has gone to school year-round –– and she has accomplished her goal. Natalya will graduate with her classmates and receive her associate degree this weekend, 在继续攻读教育学学士学位之前.
natalya阿奎莱拉
“我一开始前途光明, but I was unsuccessful in getting into the program –– I didn’t have all of the pre-requisite courses. I later got into the program, but was unsuccessful in my last semester –– I couldn’t concentrate. 我在工作和上学，我有考试焦虑.”
Eyitemi对获得护理学位感到兴奋. 他在诊所做得很好，但测试对他来说是个挑战. 在这个项目的最后一个学期, he was making such poor scores on his tests that his instructor told him that she didn’t think he was going to be able to pass the class. 他和这位教练的关系也不是很好. 他误以为她“小气”,” but he said that instructor turned out to be the “sweetest person in the world.而不是让他退出这个项目, she gave him a second chance and encouraged him to retake the class. She pushed him to try harder and referred him to a counselor for help. His instructor listened to him and encouraged him as he persisted in his course. She REALLY cared about his success, and he was willing to do what he had to do. Eyitemi变得更加自信了, 克服考试焦虑, 他在考试中表现很好, 现在即将获得护理学副学士学位.
-Eyitemi Ofeno
“I had completed my core courses and it was time to choose what I wanted to major in. 这是一个偶然的完美时机——我掉进了它. I looked at the degree options and thought that taking x-rays sounded interesting. I applied to the program and was chosen for the first group to interview – then I successfully progressed through the next part of the process and did well. 我不得不等一会儿, but I soon received my acceptance letter to the next class in the Radiologic Technology program.”
拉莉是移民父母的女儿. 她将是家里第一个大学毕业生. 她获得学位的两年历程并不容易. 放射技术总监Carrie Nanson说, “Lalie has been amazing in overcoming what she has dealt with and succeeding in this program – anyone else would have given up.”
在第一年, 拉莉觉得她跟不上她的同学, 她考虑过退学. 她与抑郁症作斗争. 她没有意识到她需要帮助. In her classes, she kept pressing on, trying to deal with her emotions and stress. 这是她参加Rad Tech项目的第二年, all of her instructors collectively met with her to support her and they recommended that she take advantage of counseling. 一旦她找到了她需要的帮助, Lalie began to thrive academically – so much so that she will graduate this weekend with her Associate Degree in Radiologic Technology.
-“Lalie Alaniz
“我一直很喜欢学校，而且我在学校表现很好. 我一直想上大学, 但当我高中毕业的时候, 那是一个不同的时代. You were expected to graduate from high school, get married and have a family. 我做到了，我总是把家庭放在第一位. 当COVID来袭时, that was my chance to go back to school and get my associate degree … I started college when I was 50 years old.”
莱昂内尔成年后一直从事油田相关工作, 他从基层做起. He worked the more dangerous jobs because he could make more money to provide for his family. 最终, he was promoted which meant that he didn’t have to be on 24-hour call anymore and he had weekends off, 让他去追求自己的梦想. Lionel came to OC and walked in the front door, not knowing what to do to get started. “Everyone was so helpful, and they took care of me every step of the way.”
Lionel was working full time and didn’t have internet access at his home, so he spent many hours every evening after his classes and on weekends in the Learning Resources Center and other locations where he could access the internet. He would do his homework in his pickup parked in a parking lot or at the mall while his family shopped. 他从不缺课. When he finished his class work, he would stay and help his classmates with their work. He took advantage of the resources that were available to him such as tutoring, 数学实验室, 和LRC. Lionel completed his associate’s degree in Automation just as OC began offering a bachelor’s degree in that field, so he continued on and will now be graduating with his BAAS degree.
Lionel is the first, but not the last, in his family to graduate from college. 他的儿子, 松鼠窝, will graduate next year from OCTECHS with his associate’s degree and continue at OC to get his bachelor’s degree as well. 莱昂内尔为他的家人树立了新的榜样和期望, 欧亚体育非常自豪地称他为牧马人.
莱昂内尔Baiza