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The UA Early College Experience
Confidence. Drive. Perseverance. Excellence. Support. Without further reading, one might think the stories to come are about an athletic experience. But would you believe these words refer to an academic experience at a top-50 public university? These words have been used by parents, students, and school administrators to describe their experiences with UA Early College at The University of Alabama. Their personal testimonies describing their own unique opportunities and experience tells more than any brochure, website, or commercial that can be created. Meet members of the UA Early College family in the stories below.
As the UA Early College family continues to grow with students from across the state of Alabama, throughout the nation, and even around the globe, one thing continues to be echoed by the family near and far. The words of Stacy, a parent from Dothan, AL, and home educator of her four children, best encompasses the overall message: “UA Early College is the best thing we’ve done! She feels so confident in her academic work and in her abilities as she approaches the college selection process.” Stacy is bragging on her oldest daughter who will be entering college as a freshman this coming year. Through online coursework offered with UA Early College at The University of Alabama, she is a step ahead as she begins her full-time collegiate career.
Stacy plans to be part of the UA Early College family for years to come as her three younger children begin navigating their high school curriculum and preparing for college through UA Early College opportunities. The most exciting part for her is that, as soon as children finish ninth grade work, they can begin the college-level instruction and curriculum with UA Early College.
“With such a wide variety of course offerings, they can take care of the basics, but also explore areas they may not get to otherwise until a full-time college students. This is helpful as they realize their academic strengths and passions.”
The excitement is not simply contained in the proud parents of children who are realizing their potential and earning college credit while still in high school. The enthusiasm also shows in the students who are also proud of their own accomplishments. Ian, a senior in high school living in Memphis, TN, excitedly introduced himself to a UA Early College staff member at a recruiting event and proudly announced he was recently selected as an ambassador for UA Early College. (Meet all of the UA Early College ambassadors through the website – uaearlycollege.ua.edu – or on social media). Ian not only is able to talk to his friends and their parents about his personal experiences, but through his official role as a student ambassador, he also works alongside the staff to help spread the opportunities to others in his community. Living out of state and being quite busy with high school curriculum, as well as a vast array of community and athletic involvement, the online class options give him the flexibility he needs to maintain his local activities, while still getting ahead on his collegiate work.
Talk to any of the students who moved to Tuscaloosa for the summer as they lived on campus and attended classes through UA Early College, and the message continues to be the same. These students not only excel academically in their studies and have a higher overall GPA, they are also finding they have more time in their college years to “do more in four.” Some explore multiple academic disciplines and pursue a double major. Others find more time to study abroad or intern during a semester or summer when it may not have otherwise been possible. Still others are graduating from college early. Regardless of their individual outcome, charted course, or even the college or university the students attend full-time, they all have the ties that bind them together – the overall experience and, most important of all, the UA Early College family.
To learn more about how you can become part of the UA Early College family, as well as the scholarship opportunities that can also make getting ahead in college a reality, visit the UA Early College website at uaearlycollege.ua.edu or call the office at (205) 348-7083.
