​​​​Student Gets Associates Degree Before Graduating HS

MONTGOMERY, TX -- When Kaitlyn McKinney walks across the stage at Lone Star College-Montgomery commencement on Friday, May 12 at The Woodlands Church - Fellowship Campus, she will be receiving her associates of arts before her high school diploma.

McKinney is part of the first graduating class that has gone exclusively to iSchool High, a public charter school located on the LSC-Montgomery campus.

Out of the 59 students graduating, three are graduating with their associates degrees before iSchool High’s graduation on Thursday, May 25.

McKinney will already have 61 transferable college credits from LSC-Montgomery under her belt when she enters Sam Houston State University this fall.

She is majoring in Psychology and expects to spend two years completing her undergraduate degree then it is on to law school. “I started taking college classes the spring semester of my freshman year,” McKinney said. “I hope to have my bachelors by the time I am 19 years old, then have my law degree by 2022.”

iSchool High has a partnership with LSC-Montgomery that blends high school and college into one educational experience, giving students a head start on both college and career.

Teachers at iSchool High do not stand at a chalkboard and teach students, instead students like McKinney self-teach, working at his or her own pace with iSchool teachers serving as guides on the side.

“We want our students to feel like they are the masters of their own education,” explains Guamma Goff iSchool High Montgomery Campus Director.

“We do not hold them back, we do not say, ‘you have done enough, now you have to wait for your class to catch up.’ Instead we say ‘you want to accelerate through material, as long as you can master the material, go ahead.’ It is amazing to see freshman come in, find their path and tell us ‘I am going to college my second semester of high school.’”

While she’s teaching herself during the day, Kaitlyn comes and goes per her college course schedule at LSC-Montgomery.

The best part: there has been almost no cost for the McKinneys.

“We only paid about $125 total for all four years, that is including the college credits,” admits her dad, John. “It is a very, very nice perk. The forethought of LSC-Montgomery to open up these doors for so many people is beneficial to Kaitlyn and all the students who have taken college classes.”

The iSchool progrm is considered a public institution, and is able to offer students free college classes because Lone Star College has waived tuition and fees.

In fact McKinney didn't even have to tell her professors she was a high school student, and many could not guess that fact from the caliber of her work.

“I told some professors up-front that I was in high school when I was 14 and 15 years old,” she said. “They were surprised, but after a while I did not tell anyone and no one thought to ask or question it.”

After having gone through this process, McKinney feels confident in her abilities, and feels she has the attitude that she can take on anything.

“Kaitlyn is getting the chance to get a head start on life in general," John said. "It has been amazing to see her grow in responsibility, understanding and appreciation for learning at LSC-Montgomery.”

Photo courtesy of Lone Star College (Kaitlyn McKinney has earned her associates of arts before her high school diploma. She attended iSchool High a public charter school that has a partnership with LSC-Montgomery where students can receive college credit for free with all tuition and fees waived. Kaitlyn McKinney has earned her associates of arts before her high school diploma. She attended iSchool High a public charter school that has a partnership with LSC-Montgomery where students can receive college credit for free with all tuition and fees waived. )