Southridge High School highlights Early College Program success

Southridge High School highlighted the success and monetary savings students in the corporation’s Early College program have obtained.

The Early College program is a type of educational initiative that allows high school students to take college-level courses and earn college credit while still in high school. Embedded in the program is the Indiana College Core (ICC), a set of general education courses recognized and accepted by all public colleges and universities in Indiana.

The idea behind the ICC is to provide students with a pathway to complete a broad, foundational set of college-level courses in subjects like English, math, science, and social studies before they move on to more specialized studies in their chosen degree programs. 

More than 70 students have participated in the program.

Jonathan Perez, a current senior who is participating in the Early College Program and has thus far earned over 75 college credits, the ICC designation, and two Associate Degrees, has shared his experience:

“The Early College program is arguably one of the most important and impactful initiatives I have ever seen and experienced. College can be very expensive and time-consuming, but through the early college program, I have been able to not only earn my high school diploma but two associate’s degrees through Ivy Tech,” he wrote. “This is a huge step for me and my family, as I am a first generation college student. Outside of qualifications, the more advanced education curriculum of the Early College program has relit my spark for learning and growing as a scholar and as a person.”

The Early College program in and of itself is beneficial to students as it allows for both a high school education and a college education in the same time period. If students want to further their education, the Early College program acts as a gateway into higher learning and can even save students time in college.

Thanks to the more rigorous curriculum, I have been able to rekindle my love for learning and have come to challenge myself more and more to take on greater responsibilities. I’ve also gained a lot of confidence by taking these classes. I feel more accomplished as a student and as a member of society.

At the beginning of high school, I had known that I wanted to go to college, but I wasn’t sure as to why or if I could. Through the early college program I have come to decide that I will pursue a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, and if possible pursue an associate’s in a liberal arts degree such as a foreign language degree.

To be completely honest, middle school was very slow paced. Now I am able to interact with more engaging course material, have a better understanding of my career goals, and feel far more capable than I ever have before. Education is no longer a task, but a foundation to life-long learning and growth.”

Jonathan will be attending Purdue University for Electrical Engineering as part of the John Martinson Honors College with full tuition coverage and a paid internship under the Lilly Scholar program – a prestigious and well-deserved honor.

He and his classmates will save a nominal amount of money by participating in the Early College program at Southridge High School.  While this school year is still underway and total calculations are on pause, the graduating Class of 2024 had significant savings: students earning the ICC and/or associate degree saved approximately $1,060,730.00; students earning general college credits saved approximately $471,428.25. These savings were calculated based on college choice and annual tuition – the Class of 2025 will undoubtedly surpass these savings with their continued accomplishments.

Here is a list of students and their accomplishments through this program.