1st early college class prepares to graduate

By Harold Gwin

Four of the first graduates already have earned YSU associate in arts degrees.

YOUNGSTOWN — TaQuaesa Toney said she wasn’t thinking much about college when, as an eighth-grader, she learned the city school district and Youngstown State University were launching Youngstown Early College.

Now, as one of YEC’s first class of 41 graduating seniors, it’s all she thinks about.

“I wanted to come here,” she said, explaining that she liked the idea of being able to take some college classes while still a high school student.

It’s worked out well for her.

TaQuaesa and three other seniors — twin sisters Misti and Kristi Mraz and Cherise Benton — are not only graduating with high school honors Sunday but also will receive associate in arts degrees Saturday at YSU’s spring commencement.

All four have earned more than the 60 college credit hours required to earn the associate degree.

“Some of my professors probably still don’t know I was in high school,” TaQuaesa said, noting that she has more than 70 college credits and will attend YSU as a full-time student in the fall.

She’s done well enough to earn a “full ride” scholarship to the university and plans to live in the honors dorm.

She wants to pursue a premed degree and hopefully get accepted into the six-year BS/MD degree program YSU has with the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine.

“I think I want to be a family doctor. I like working with people,” she said.

Her younger sister, Tre’Dayza, apparently liked what she saw. She enrolled as a YEC freshman this year.

The program is centered in YSU’s Fedor Hall where the students take high school courses.

If they do well in their core curriculum, they are able to begin taking college classes tuition free, starting out with physical education and advancing to business, math, social studies, language arts and more.

Youngstown Early College was an education experiment created to provide a transition to college for bright but underachieving city school students who might not get that access in the traditional high school setting. It’s free, but students must apply and be accepted to enroll.

Although it was hoped that more students might qualify for the YSU associate degree, 13 students in the first senior class are graduating with more than 25 college credit hours each, said John Wilson, YEC principal. Nearly 30 of the graduates are expected to enroll at YSU this fall.

“For a new, start-up program, I think that’s successful,” he said.

“We recognize we can do better,” Wilson added, pointing out some changes being implemented to ensure that the high school students are truly ready before they start taking college courses.

In the future, ninth- and 10th-graders will spend nearly all their time in Fedor as YEC “loads up” on core high school content credits for that group. That will give them more academic skills they need to be successful with college classes, Wilson said, adding that juniors and seniors, on the other hand, will spend the bulk of their time taking college classes.

YSU also has added a full-time academic adviser for YEC students this year.

“This is a historic moment for the Youngstown City School District and Youngstown State University,” said YSU President David C. Sweet. “The success of these students is a reflection of their hard work and perseverance and the dedication of dozens of educators who have committed themselves to making the early college concept work in this community.”

“Youngstown Early College represents what a united effort between a secondary school system and an institution of higher education can do to accelerate the educational achievement of students,” said Dr. Wendy Webb, Youngstown schools superintendent.

There are eight early college high schools in Ohio today, but only YEC has an affiliation with a four-year college or university, Wilson said.

YEC enrollment was 240 this year but is expected to grow to 280 next year with the admission of 80 freshmen.

gwin@vindy.com