Niles Community High School Offers Dual Enrollment Option

The following was submitted by Susan Flewelling

Joseph Hamm is one of many alumni who attribute their college success to the Dual Enrollment program in which students earn both high school and college credit at the same time.

Hamm graduated in 2010, the first year that Dual Enrollment was offered at NCHS in Troy. He took classes both at Oakland Community College and NCHS during his last semester of high school and transferred to University of Detroit Mercy the following school year.

“I had already adapted to the college environment, and I knew what I was getting into when I went to UDM,” Hamm said. “It was a really smooth transition.” 

He said the College Note Taking class that is a requirement for Dual Enrollment at NCHS helped him tremendously.

“When they gave me a Note Taking class at UDM, I knew almost everything, and I basically already had a head-start over everyone else in my class,” he said.

Patrick Dawood, Dual Enrollment teacher, said some 40 students have been enrolled in the program so far.

“This program has helped transition ‘at risk,’ non-traditional education students who may not have gone to college and are now working on a two or four-year degree,” Dawood said. “Dual Enrollment offers preparation and support in the transition from being high-school-minded to a college student.”

Debra MacDonald, NCHS supervisor, added, “Studies show that the number one reason why ‘at risk’ students don’t go to college is because they don’t know where to start.  College Note Taking and Dual Enrollment teach them that,” she said.

Hamm plans to go into the Marines in the fall, obtain his bachelor’s degree to become an officer and, ultimately, become a pilot in the U.S. Marine Core.

Another NCHS alumnus and current Walsh College student, James Leduc, said he is thankful for the financial help the program offered. Not only were his credits paid for during Dual Enrollment, but Leduc applied for and received several scholarships that have helped pay for his tuition during the last two years.

“I haven’t incurred a dime of college debt,” Leduc, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration, said.  He said he plans to continue work on a master’s degree in health care administration and currently works 39 hours a week as a semi-independent placement home manager for developmentally disabled adults, in addition to taking three classes at Walsh each quarter.

Stephanie Kato graduated from NCHS last year and said attending the school including the Dual Enrollment program was a very positive experience that helped her get her life on track.

“If NCHS had not been there for me, I would not be where I am today,” Kato, a student at Macomb Community College, said. The Sterling Heights resident took classes at both NCHS and OCC while dual-enrolled.

Kato, who works a 30- to 40-hour work week as a pharmacy technician in addition to taking 8-12 credits a semester at MCC, said the Dual Enrollment program helped her go through all of the steps of preparing for college including learning college note taking skills and organization, class preparation and test-taking strategies, registering for classes, scholarship searching, and much more.

“The teachers at NCHS really connect with the kids, understand and encourage them, and help them cope with issues and challenges,” she said.  “I felt like I was in a family while I was there.”

Jessica Kato, Stephanie’s older sister, said her family couldn’t be happier with how Stephanie thrived in the Dual Enrollment program and at NCHS.

“The teachers help each student at his or her own level.  They truly believe that each individual is capable of being successful in life no matter what struggles they may have had before coming to NCHS,” Jessica said.  

“From helping the students enroll into college, filling out the paperwork for financial aid, offering that extra help that students might need while attending college, and being able to come back to what I like to call ‘home,’ NCHS is a safe place where you know someone is always going to be there to help and support you,” Jessica said.

NCHS is a non-traditional school that assists students in the metro-Detroit area who have fallen behind in acquiring high school credits and prepares them for higher education. While the trend of many non-traditional high schools is to use an all-computer-based curriculum, NCHS continues to offer a classroom-taught educational opportunity for its students.