BY ANALISE SAINVIL
On Monday, May 11, the first cohort of Old Bridge High School’s Early College Program walked across the stage at Middlesex College to receive their associate degrees, marking a historic milestone for the program in the school district.
The graduating class included Haya Awad, Mary Barsoum, Julia DeRobertis, Weronika Malinowski, Simran Palkar, Om Pandya, Ved H. Patel, Ved Patel, Mohkam Singh, Hailey Spiro, and Emma Wong. “Walking across the stage and earning my associate degree felt really rewarding because it showed that all of the hard work and sacrifices were worth it,” said Emma Wong.
Students joined the program as freshmen after learning about the opportunity to earn college credits while still attending high school. “When I heard of it in eighth grade, I thought it was going to be a great opportunity for college,” said Om Pandya. “The idea that I would be done with two years of college before I graduated high school was appealing.”
Students joined the program as freshmen and committed to completing college coursework while still attending high school full time. “I decided to join the Early College Program because I wanted to challenge myself and take advantage of the opportunity to get ahead academically,” said Wong.
As members of the first cohort, students balanced college coursework alongside athletics, extracurricular activities, and regular high school classes throughout all four years. “I had to focus on high school, volleyball, volunteering, and trying to manage classes at Middlesex,” said Weronika Malinowski.
The program required students to complete course-work year-round while balancing their high school schedules. “With having to take difficult courses in school as well as additional courses through Middlesex during the spring and summer, the hardest part was staying focused and motivated through it all,” said Mohkam Singh.
Despite the challenges, students developed new habits and skills throughout the program. “The program helped me develop better time management and organization skills because I had to learn how to balance everything at once,” said Wong.
Several students credited the program with helping them become more disciplined and independent learners. “I learned to finish assignments within a day or two of them being assigned,” said Singh. “Doing it this way allowed me to still enjoy my summer break while staying on top of the work.”
Students also said the support from staff members helped them successfully complete the program requirements. “The most difficult part was making sure to sign up for dual enrollment and taking the right residency courses at Middlesex, but Ms. Fazio helped us all the way through it,” said Pandya.
For many graduates, the accomplishment represented years of dedication finally paying off. “The fruits of my labors can finally be picked, and I can enjoy the sweet taste of success,” said Singh.
Superintendent Dr. Sasso while holding her diploma outside of the Jersey Mike’s Arena at Rutgers.
The success of the first graduating class also sets an example for future students entering the program in the coming years. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to challenge myself and help set myself up for a successful future,” said Malinowski.
As the Early College Program continues to grow at OBHS, students hope their achievement inspires future participants to take advantage of the opportunity. “Even though it was challenging, it was definitely doable, and, in the end it helped me grow a lot as a student and person,” said Wong.
Posted on May 26, 2016
Photos by Emma Wong and Mohkam Singh
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