Dual enrollment programs prepare students

Nov. 24—Cumberland County schools have been focused on its Career and Technical Education programs as of late, and is looking to further prepare its middle school students for electives they will have upon reaching high school.

Throughout the week following their career fair, eighth grade students from across the county have been touring the Tennessee College of Applied Technology to learn about the various elective classes offered through TCAT's dual enrollment program.

In dual enrollment classes, high school students receive class credits toward their high school curriculum and TCAT simultaneously. TCAT offers a wide range of dual enrollment classes for high school students, including administrative office, automotive, computer information, cosmetology, industrial maintenance, masonry, nursing, welding and more.

Taking dual enrollment classes allows for students to get a head start in post-secondary education, find their career paths and graduate from college at an accelerated rate.

Josi Smith is one such student who has benefited from this program.

Smith took her first dual enrollment class in the spring of her junior year in 2021, studying cosmetology. She also took dual enrollment English and math classes.

"Whenever I started, I thought that I kind of wanted to do something with cosmetology, but I wasn't 100% sure," Smith said.

"Taking the dual enrollment, you actually got to work on the worksheets that college students did. You got your own mannequin just like a college student."

"I was kind of scared, just because it has the label of a college course on it, but it was nothing. It was not bad at all," Smith added.

Alix Dignan, another former dual enrollment student, shared the same sentiment about her experience in TCAT's cosmetology program.

"I didn't know what I wanted to do until I took it. It was just a filler class so I wouldn't have to take P.E. But then I realized, 'Wait, I kind of have a natural talent in it,'" Dignan said.

Dignan, now less than 50 days away from graduating from the program, said she found her passion as a manicurist while taking the dual enrollment class, and plans to get a job at a salon.

"It definitely gives you different options than having to go to a university and spend so much money," Dignan said. "It helps a lot. I feel like you get to express yourself more here."

In the dual enrollment cosmetology class, all of the equipment is paid for, and there is no tuition cost to enter the program. TCAT's cosmetology program is designed to help students master all the skills necessary for passing the state board examination to obtain a cosmetology license, combining classroom instruction and practical learning experience.

"We learn what they learn, just at a slower pace, so it actually told you what you would be getting into," Smith said.

Now, after only graduating high school in the spring of 2022, Smith is in her final trimester of TCAT's cosmetology program.

Smith primarily focused on nails when she got started with the program, as she said that she had been initially nervous at the prospect of hair dressing. But recently, she has been getting used to cutting and styling hair.

"My instructor told me, 'To pass the test, you have to know how to do hair.' So, then I started practicing with hair. Now I'm kind of torn, because I like them both," Smith said.

Another benefit to the dual enrollment program is that it allows for an easier transition into students' college programs of study, helping them get acquainted with potential career paths earlier.

"It just taught you the very basics that you needed to know, and then once you transferred into a full-time class, you got more in-depth," Smith said.

"It definitely started me off way better, because I can tell the difference between people who have done dual enrollment and the ones who are just now starting."