Dual enrollment option gives Sarasota students a head start on a career

The road to a career can take many paths. 

For some, traditional college is not the answer. Accelerated programs to learn specific skill sets can quickly launch a student into a high-demand, high-paying job.

For others, getting a head start on a college career can lower student debt and decrease the time it takes to earn a degree.

Hundreds of high school students in Sarasota County are taking advantage of dual enrollment programs at local colleges, universities and technical colleges in order to fast-track their education, or to leap directly into professional careers.

Jumpstart on higher education

Brittany Nielsen, the vice president of student services and enrollment management at State College of Florida, said it's typically high school juniors and seniors who are accelerated enough in their high school to be able to take advantage of dual enrollment opportunities and take college credits. 

Taking actual college courses at a college also helps high school students develop more quickly.

“Our students in dual enrollment are learning how to be a college student before they have to,” she said.

Dual enrollment is different from other college credit programs such as Cambridge AICE or International Baccalaureate (IB) offered at area high schools, Nielsen said. In AICE or IB, a high school student takes an accelerated course but must then score well on a standardized test to receive college credit. 

In dual enrollment, if a student passes the college class, they receive the credit. 

“They know where they're at as far as a grade,” she said. “It's not getting to the end of your semester, taking a test and hoping and praying you get the right score," Nielsen said.

Photo by Jim DeLa

It’s also an attractive option because dual enrollment college classes are free to high school students. 

The SCF program is available to students in Manatee and Sarasota counties as well as for students at Lemon Bay High School in Charlotte County. Students can be enrolled in approved public or private high schools, or can be home schooled. 

Students must have qualifying SAT, ACT or PERT exam scores. 

At USF, dual enrollment is available to students attending any type of high school recognized by the Florida Department of Education (public schools, charter schools, private schools and homeschools). Students qualify for the program based on their Grade Point Average and SAT/ACT/PERT scores and with approval of their high school counselors. 

Students approved and admitted to the program do not pay for tuition or textbooks.

Technical colleges offer hands-on experience 

At Suncoast Technical College, the nursing program is one of the school’s most popular programs. Dawn Zoerner, a registered nurse and health science instructor, said the need for nurses is growing by the day.

Zoerner said the aging population has resulted in an increased need in nursing facilities and assisted living facilities. There also has been an increased need in schools, doctors' offices and walk-in clinics.

COVID-19 also hit the nursing profession hard. She said many people walked away from nursing due to the workload and stress. 

The workforce is bouncing back, but “not as well as it should,” she said.

STC is expecting 80 dual enrollment nursing students this fall, the largest class ever, nearly double the year before. 

It’s a rigorous program. Adults in the program spending eight hours per day can graduate in a year to be ready to take a state test to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. 

For dual enrollment students, who split their time between STC and high school, it can take at least two years. 

“It’s a difficult program. But if you put the work in, they can have a career,” Zoerner said. 

In another part of the classroom building, Andres Rodriguez was viewing a music video he made as a graduation project. 

Rodriguez may not be the typical dual enrollment student. His choice for a field of study — digital video technology — was born out of curiosity, rather than a drive to enter the workforce. 

He said he attended an open house at Suncoast Technical when he was a sophomore at Booker High School. While taking a tour, he met instructor Edward Fagan and liked what he saw. Now a graduating senior, he said the program has helped him realize he wants to pursue film as a career.

“It made me love cameras, made me love cinematography,” he said. “It just made me realize, like, ‘Oh, hey, I really liked this; this is something that I could do.'”

Fagan, who has decades of experience in the industry, said he tries to give his students a solid footing, not only on the technical and creative side of the industry but also on the business side. 

“We talk about freelancing, creating an LLC, how to work with clients, as well as legal aspects of the business – insurance, taxes and finances," he said.

He encourages his dual enrollment students to go on to college. 

“They can get a head start with their education by coming here, learning the basics, and then jumping into college with 12 credits under their belt and certifications in (Adobe) Premiere,” Fagan said. Adobe Premiere is a video editing software.

If not, he said they have the skills to enter the workforce. 

“So either way, it's a win-win. And if it doesn't work out, you know, it didn't cost them anything," he said.

As for Rodriguez, he said he’s talking with the county’s education channel. 

“I'm talking to see if maybe I can help them out, even if it's just helping them out to set up maybe a certain scene or something they're going to cover," he said.