Career and College Promise: Meet Six Students Earning Associate Degrees in High School

Piedmont Community College’s (PCC) Career and College Promise (CCP) program allows high school students to take PCC courses at no cost while in high school. This allows many high schools seniors to graduate from high school with an associates degree, saving them time and money when transferring to a four-year college or entering the workforce.

From lawyers to psychologists, CCP students are earning the credits they need to advance towards their goals sooner and at a fraction of the cost. Meet six outstanding CCP students who are making the most of this opportunity and learn about the advice they would give other high school students.

Hayes Davis – Roxboro Community School Junior

Having always had an interest in psychology, Hayes Davis kicked off his CCP journey with a psychology class after a recommendation from a friend.

After graduating high school, Hayes plans to attend UNC Chapel Hill and major in political journalism, public relations or communications. Although he’s unsure of the exact path he wants to take, he knows he wants to do something that involves writing.

At RCS, Hayes is involved in the Interact Club, Environmental Club, Book Club, Student Council president, officer for Senior Beta Club, cross country, men’s tennis, co yearbook editor and writes for the Bullhorn, RCS’s column in The Courier Times. He recently joined PCC’s Global Distinction program and works part-time with Person County Parks and Recreation, as well as the Kirby Cultural Arts Complex.

Hayes says that organization is key. He writes down his schedule and organizes his time so that he can get everything done. He also suggests that students give themselves mental breaks to avoid burning out.

“Being the student who’s active in so much and taking so many classes can be hard, but it’s a great learning experience and helps you grow a lot if you know how to organize it in the right way,” Hayes said.

Paige Jay – Person High School Senior

Between balancing academics and extra-curricular activities, Paige Jay has taken advantage of every opportunity at PCC. She was recently selected as a semi-finalist for UNC’s Morehead-Cain Scholarship and NC State’s Park Scholarship—both prestigious full-ride programs. Although she was not selected as a finalist for these scholarships, being selected as a semi-finalist was a huge accomplishment as they are both highly competitive.

At PCC, Paige has excelled both academically and in leadership roles. All of this while participating in Phi Theta Kappa as the vice president, Rotaract as the president and the Global Distinction program. In addition, she has dedicated time to tutoring other students in PCC’s Learning Commons.

Looking ahead, Paige plans to pursue a career in sports media, double majoring in business administration and communications. Early on Paige recognized the value of getting an early start on college—saving money while gaining a great experience with excellent instructors.

Citlalli Martinez-Murrieta – Person High School Senior

Citlalli Martinez-Murrieta was encouraged by her high school teachers to take CCP classes. Knowing that she wanted to attend a four-year college after graduating high school, she saw this as a great opportunity to get ahead.

Citlalli was recently selected as a finalist for UNC’s prestigious Morehead-Cain scholarship. Although she did not receive the scholarship, she still plans to attend UNC Chapel Hill to major in political science and minor in business administration with the goal of becoming a lawyer.

Citlalli’s passion for law started when she became a volunteer for Roots and Wings in Roxboro. Through this organization she has been able to serve as a defense attorney in teen court. She loves the community involvement it brings and the opportunity to play a role in the restorative justice it brings to the teens involved.

In addition to teen court, Citlalli also participates in sports, National Honor Society, Key Club and PCC’s Global Distinction program. Citlalli says that CCP has taught her a lot about time management and figuring things out on her own while being able to venture out.

“CCP has connected me with some really great people,” Citlalli said. “People who continue to encourage me, see the best in me and want to see me continue to do my best throughout my college years and future.”

Cameron Seal – Person High School Senior

Cameron Seal decided to take CCP classes because he knew he would be able to get ahead and save money.

When he graduates high school, he plans to attend NC State and major in biological and agricultural engineering technology, a field he enjoys because it’s hands-on. His passion for agriculture stems from working with his grandfather, who is a cattle farmer.

Cameron says that time management is the key to being successful when taking CCP classes. He prioritizes his assignments and other responsibilities so that he has time for extracurricular activities, such as run club.

Although the classes have been more difficult than high school classes, Cameron says that it’s been very beneficial and an overall great experience.

Maddie Watson – Roxboro Community School Junior

CCP first sparked an interest in Maddie Watson after she learned that she could take college classes for free and get a jump start on her dream of becoming a pediatric surgeon.

She’s always been drawn to the medical field, with a particular fascination for anatomy. After graduating high school, she plans to attend UNC Chapel Hill to study pre-med, then pursue a pediatric program at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Maddie is involved in Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), Student Council, Beta Club, Debate Club and PCC’s Global Distinction program. She admits she was a little hesitant at first about taking PCC classes while still in high school—worried the workload might be too much. But she found her rhythm, setting aside weekends for PCC assignments and focusing on high school work during the week.

When asked what advice she’d give to other high school students considering CCP, Maddie didn’t hesitate: “Do it. The instructors are willing to listen and understand. They’re easy to talk to and will work something out with you. It’s a great chance to get a degree in high school for free while you have the time and resources to do it.

Victoria West – Roxboro Community School Junior

Victoria West chose to take CCP classes to fast track her college career. Her dream is to attend UNC Chapel Hill to major in psychology and eventually work with children.

Like many other CCP students, she is involved in many clubs and organizations such as Beta Club, Interact Club, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Environmental Club, Student Council, softball and PCC’s Global Distinction program.

Victoria says that juggling school and extracurricular activities hasn’t been challenging from a social aspect since many of her friends are in the same classes and clubs as she is, but that it can be challenging academically and encourages others to find a good balance with everything they have going on.

“It can be overwhelming at times, but if you really understand that you have to take care of your academics, then the rest of it is really comforting to know that if I work now, I’ll be ahead in college,” Victoria said.

For more information about CCP, visit piedmontcc.edu/highschoolprograms.