Student Representative Austin Blaine seeks the challenge of politics as he plans to run for state representative.
Page 5
Middle College celebrates decade Claire Bechard Agora Staff
Ten years of Middle College students have passed through MCCC. “It’s been an incredibly fast 10 years, I can say that for sure!” said Robert Krueger, principal of the Middle College. Kruger assisted developing the program in 2007. The Monroe County Middle College is a collaboration between the Monroe County Intermediate School District, Monroe County Community College, and nine local public schools. “The ISD felt strongly that the Middle College be located on the MCCC campus, noting the most important piece to any early college is the power of the site, that is being located on a College campus,” said Grace Yackee, vice president of Instruction at MCCC. Proposals were drawn up in October of 2007, and two years later MCMC opened its program at MCCC and Promedica hospital. It welcomed 36 high school freshmen with their eyes set on careers in the medical field. Now, in 2019, MCMC has expanded into a school of over 300 students with career sights in the science, math and medical fields, and everything in-between. Kruger had been passionate about the project since the get-go.
Photo by Vanessa Ray
Middle College students study and socialize in the L Building’s new lounge.
“I already worked at the ISD, and it just seemed like a really cool opportunity to do something different, “ Kruger said. Yackee agreed that MCMC was a great opportunity for students. “MCMC administrators and teachers provide wrap-around support services for the purpose of retention and completion,” she said.
“Instead of offering a course with seven students in the spring and another seven students in the summer, we’ll offer one course with 15. That will also reduce the chances of cancellations.” Grace Yackee VP of Instruction Serving Monroe County since 1968
“They also emphasize and implement high standards for behavior and academic performance.” MCMC is a Gradual Entry Model high school program that smoothes the transition between high school learning and college. “By starting out students at one to two to three to four, then to five college classes, the typical culture
shock of college is not present. This is why our students are so successful,” Kruger said. Students are able to earn up to 60 free transferable college credits from MCCC over five years. However, some students, including Kaitlin Gullet, an MCMC fifthyear student, find five years to be too long of a time to complete her
high school diploma and college degree. “If you want to advance, you can’t. I was going to try and graduate early, but they won’t allow it,” she said. While the five years are quite the commitment, Middle College students save nearly $40,000, accord-
Continued on Page 2
Spring-Summer now one semester Lydia Sandefur Agora Staff
Students who take spring classes can expect to have a shorter summer break this year. In the past, MCCC has had separate spring and summer semesters, with classes lasting either six or eight weeks. This year, there will only be one spring semester. The change was prompted to make it easier for students to qual-
February 25, 2019
ify for financial aid during the semester, as well as help students to understand the financial aid process. “It was primarily to establish a standard term for the summer, which is required for the college to remain eligible to award federal financial aid dollars, which includes Pell Grants and direct loans,” said Grace Yackee, vice president of instruction. The college must meet certain
regulations regarding their semesters in order to be eligible to give out certain financial aid packages. “In order to award what is called Pell Formula One, you have to have a standard semester and previously we had two semesters,” Yackee explained. “We are trying to standardize it to one, which allows us to award federal financial aid all three semesters, not just fall and winter, but also summer.”
Continued on Page 2 Vol. 66, Issue 6