For some students, high school is exciting because they can be around friends every day, watch and participate in sports, go to dances and challenge their minds.

For others, high school is unenjoyable and not worth sitting through classes for eight hours a day, five times a week. This is the case for junior Angelina Gochenour, who applied to Johnson County Community College (JCCC) this past spring to utilize its dual enrollment option.

“School has never been my favorite thing,” Gochenour said. “Getting ahead and getting some of my college general courses [completed] seemed like a good idea to me.”

She has been getting used to taking classes at the JCCC campus to work toward obtaining an Associate of Arts, a two-year degree that requires 60 credit hours.

“It didn’t take super long to [adjust to this new schedule] because of how much more free time there is,” she said. “A lot of times, class is just an hour a couple times a week.”

One might assume that taking classes at a college-level can add unnecessary stress, but Gochenour has adequate time to complete homework and still attend Blue Valley activities.

“I would recommend this for people just because of the schedule — it’s super flexible, and you have a lot more free time,” she said. “You definitely have to have motivation to do your work.”

She plans on continuing classes at JCCC next year as well, with the assistance of high school counselor and dual enrollment recruiter Sarah Beren. However, this program is not open to just anyone.“[Juniors and seniors] must qualify by showing that they can take Composition 1 and College Algebra by taking the ACCUPLACER,” Beren said. “In some cases, their high school grades or ACT scores can qualify them.”

There are 330 classes available to dual enrollment students at JCCC that can count as Blue Valley graduation requirements. While taking those classes, students also take general education courses to receive associate degrees for a fraction of the price they would pay at public universities.

“They can get an associate degree with an emphasis in paralegal, for instance, and have a job ready certificate that allows them to earn some money, without paying $20 [grand] or $30 grand a year,” Beren said.

Beren believes the program is great both financially and academically because of all the opportunities it offers students, like allowing them to explore a large selection of clubs.

“I have students in their honors program,” Beren said. “I [also] have one student who’s the vice president of the Student Senate, [and] I have students that are everywhere along that gamut.”

Like Gochenour, Beren has met many other students who don’t like being in a large high school because they don’t feel socially connected.

“This program has been life-changing for that kind of kid,” Beren said.