Kimberley Quintero and Ron Rome. Photo courtesy of A-B Tech
By Emma Castleberry
It may come as a surprise for some to learn that around 30 percent of the academic students at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) are also enrolled in area public, private and charter high schools or home schools. Through the Career and College Promise High School Program (CCP), these students are eligible to take community college courses with free tuition. “A-B Tech sees this as part of our role within the community, to help our younger generation prepare for the future,” says Dr. Fairley Patton, executive director of student advising at A-B Tech.
The program offers three different pathways through which high school students can get a jump-start on their college degree or earn certificates for their future career. Participating in the program makes students more competitive for scholarships and admission to other colleges and universities, though many choose to complete their education with A-B Tech after high school. Through College Transfer Pathways, high school juniors and seniors can complete 30 or more semester hours of courses that will transfer to any of the 16 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, as well as many private colleges in the state. In another pathway, A-B Tech partners with Cooperative Innovative High Schools to allow rising ninth graders an opportunity to earn a high school diploma and two years of college credit within five years. With Career Technical Education Pathways, students can earn a certificate or diploma before they even graduate from high school.
Aiyanna Hicks, a senior at North Buncombe High School, chose to earn a welding certificate through CCP in pursuit of her plan to work for NASA. “Without this opportunity, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do welding because I want to go to a four-year university,” she says. “I ended up getting my welding certificate and now I’m doing some co-ed courses that will transfer to a university. It’s nice that I can save time and money.”
While there are technical requirements for participating in CCP, the program is functional for almost any motivated student. The next opportunity to enroll is in late-start classes that begin March 9. “Any student who wants to participate and has a goal will do well in this program, regardless of how they’ve done academically in the past,” says Fairley, who adds that any high school student could benefit from taking at least one college class. “We’re here to support them and we want them to be successful.”
To learn more, visit ABTech.edu/CCP.
