OPINION

WTMC helped me grow

Dual enrollment teaches responsibility, preparation

In WTMC, you can graduate with your high school diploma and an associate’s degree, certificate, or both. Jada Hauser | Washtenaw Voice

Lexi Stephens | Contributor

At the beginning of eighth grade, my friends and I were sitting at our normal lunch table when, suddenly, the topic of high school came up.

Everyone was talking about how they put in their applications for schools like Washtenaw Technical Middle College, Early College Alliance and Skyline. When I got asked which high school I applied to, I told them I haven’t applied yet. They all looked at me like I was crazy, and one of them asked me if I was crazy.

The thing was, my mom had no idea that you had to actually apply to high schools. She assumed you just signed up and you got in, and I definitely had no idea you had to apply at all. When I went home that day, I looked into all the high schools around me and applied to every one that I could. However, the one that really stuck out to me was WTMC.

I had never heard of a high school where you were able to take college classes as a high schooler.

After that day, I knew that WTMC was meant for me. The only problem was I didn’t live in Washtenaw County, and I didn’t have any siblings who went there, so I got last pick when it came to applications.

Then, miraculously, in early May, I got an email telling me that I got accepted. I remember being so excited and I immediately told all of my friends that got accepted into WTMC that I’d be attending with them.

Fast forward to now, I am a first-year WTMC student, and I love it here.

I’ve met so many new friends, I’m on the right track to go to my dream university and the teachers are so supportive.

This school has definitely been a challenge, and I can only imagine that it’ll get better, but this school does so much more than just prepare students for college. It helps improve skills that we can use in the real world such as responsibility, follow through and preparation.

I’ve only been a student here for two semesters, but I would recommend this school to anyone. I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I was little and being at this school helped me become a published writer at The Washtenaw Voice as a freshman in high school.