Robby Espano ABAC Alana Hiers Valdosta State Two weeks before Robby Espano graduates from Irwin County High School in May 2018, he will have already walked across the stage at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) and earned an Associate of Science in general studies. While a high school junior, Espano became a full-time dual enrollment student at ABAC. At the time he was not old enough to drive to ABAC’s campus, so Espano and his father made the 30-minute commute from Ocilla to Tifton. “ABAC was my main choice for dual enrollment classes,” said Espano. “They have a large selection of advanced math courses, including calculus two and three.” In addition to his classes at ABAC, Espano’s quest for knowledge took him to Harvard University to participate in the university’s prestigious Secondary School Program. For seven weeks, Espano attended academically challenging college classes taught by Harvard professors. For the past three years, Espano has spent the majority of his school day at ABAC; however, he is still able to participate in high school activities. “I don’t feel that I am missing out on high school activities,” said Espano, who is a member of the Irwin County High School tennis team and actively involved in the Technology Student Association Club and Vex Robotics Team. “I like the college schedule. In high school, you have a six-block schedule, and you are in the same building from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. In college, you have classes that meet twice a week or three times a week, so there is a lot more flexibility.” With the career goal of becoming a neurosurgeon, Espano has applied at Harvard University, as well as Baylor University and Rice University. When Alana Hiers moved into the residence hall at Valdosta State University, she not only knew her way around campus but also had more than 30 hours of college credit on the books. With the goal of attending medical school, the dual enrollment program provided Hiers with the chance to get her college core classes completed while still in high school. “By doing dual enrollment, I can choose to graduate earlier than 2021 and get into medical school sooner,” Hiers said. A 2017 graduate of Lanier County High School, Hiers said the dual enrollment program challenged her academically and provided an expanded classroom experience. “The freedom of not being in the classroom all day was really my favorite part,” said Hiers, who earned the Zell Miller Scholarship and Valdosta State University’s Jennett Scholarship, which is the institution’s most prestigious academic scholarship. “My grades also went up when I came to Valdosta State because I was being challenged and I was interested in the classes I was taking.” Hiers said the social adjustments of being in high school while taking classes on a college campus can be challenging. “I barely saw many of my high school peers,” said Hiers, who is a biology major. “The age gap makes it hard to connect with the other college students. Eventually, I got past both of these things, but it did take some efforts.” 26 S G M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8