Beaufort County Early College High School celebrates Class of 2021

The Class of 2021 at Beaufort County Early College High School returned to more normal graduation ceremony, with friends and family in attendance. The ceremony was held in Washington High School’s auditorium in order to more safely accommodate the crowd. The dual enrollment program, housed on the campus of Beaufort County Community College (BCCC), saw 45 students presented with high school diplomas, 36 of whom will also receive associate's degrees through Beaufort County Community College.

Students who also earned certificates or degrees through BCCC had participated in a larger ceremony with graduates from the college and other early college high school students on May 13. The graduates are headed off to four-year universities, the military and the workforce.

Graduates were recognized for different achievements at the ceremony. Those wearing gold cords had weighted high school grade point average of 4.0 or higher. Those with white cords had completed an associate’s degree. McKenna Beacham, Takahia Bell, Mackenzie Chrismon, Savannah Davenport, Nyjeria Distance, Haley Finch, Jennifer Flores Chavez, Ashley Fournillier, Elizabeth Gagnon, Ronald Godley, Micah Guion, Myia Guion, Victoria Hannah, Anaya Jones, Chloe Lassiter, Emily Lassiter, Jackeline Lopez Arteaga, Abril Lumbreras Rodriguez, Madeline Mombaerts, Alondra Morales Jimenez, Davina Morris, Gracie Morris, Kaitlyn Ormond, Nijah Pope, Jack Prevatt, Christopher Price, Emily Pulido-Acre, Willie Roberson, Cassandra Sanchez, Jazmine Saunders, Beckett Stevens, Landry Waters, Daneisha Whitley, Trinity Wiggins, Elizabeth Williams and Melanie Winstead received degrees and certificates through BCCC.

Fourteen of the graduates had unweighted high school GPAs of 3.5 or higher. The North Carolina Scholars were McKenna Beacham, Takahia Bell, Savannah Davenport, Elizabeth Gagnon, Steffon Grice, Anaya Jones, Emily Lassiter, Jackeline Arteaga, Davina Morris, Gracie Morris, Nijah Pope, Cassandra Sanchez, and Beckett Stevens. Cassandra Sanchez was the Class of 2021's valedictorian.

Dual enrollment students are becoming an increasingly larger part of the community college landscape. This year also saw the first student, Melody Smith, graduating with an associate’s degree while still attending a private high school. Jahi Walker was the first student at Washington County Early College High School to earn an Associate in Applied Science in Criminal Justice Technology. BCCC also partners with Columbia Early College High School and Mattamuskeet Early College High School and qualified students from all area high schools can take free college classes through Career and College Promise.

Early college high school students go to high school classes for their first two years, later transitioning to taking college classes just like any other college students on the BCCC campus. At the end of their five-year education, they earn a high school diploma, and most of them also earn an associate’s degree. BCECHS encourages its students to graduate with two associate's degrees.

BCCC wishes all the best to its early college students.